FactCheck.org Director Brooks Jackson talks to WCBS radio about the false and misleading claims made by President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney in their first presidential debate. The candidates got the facts wrong on taxes, deficits, jobs and more.
For our full article on the debate claims, see “Dubious Denver Debate Declarations.”
FactCheck.org On the Air
FactCheck.org staffers often appear on TV and radio stations, as well as webcasts and podcasts, to discuss our work.
Obama and Food Stamps
FactCheck.org Managing Editor Lori Robertson talks to WCBS radio about work requirements and food stamps. Mitt Romney claimed that President Obama caused a doubling of able-bodied persons on food stamps by taking “work out of the food stamps requirement.” That’s an exaggeration.
For Lori’s article on food stamps, see “Romney’s Food Stamp Stretch.”
Overselling the Affordable Care Act
At the Democratic National Convention, former President Bill Clinton went too far when he suggested that the Affordable Care Act was the reason the growth in health care spending has been low in the past two years. On Connecticut Public Broadcasting, Managing Editor Lori Robertson explains that the slow economy is the main reason.
For more, see our Sept. 6 article “Our Clinton Nightmare.”
Who are the 47 Percent?
In a secretly recorded video at a May fundraiser, Mitt Romney told donors that 47 percent of Americans do not pay federal income tax and are “dependent upon the government.” Who are the 47 percent? Deputy Managing Editor Robert Farley explains on WCBS radio that most of them are working people who simply do not earn very much money.
For our article on Romney, see “Dependency and Romney’s 47 Percenters.”
Romney’s Bogus ‘Apology’ Claim
FactCheck.org Director Brooks Jackson talks to WCBS radio about a false claim that Mitt Romney repeatedly made after the attacks on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya and the U.S. embassy in Cairo, Egypt.
Romney said the Obama administration issued an “apology for American values” after the attacks. That’s not true. Romney was referring to a statement issued before mobs attacked either in Egypt or Libya. Furthermore, the word “sorry” or “apologize” doesn’t appear in the statement.
How Much Is the Mandate Tax?
On Connecticut Public Broadcasting, Managing Editor Lori Robertson explains how much individuals will pay if they refuse to have health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. The minimum tax will be $695 per person, but no more than $2,085 per family in 2016. But that amount can be higher, depending on the taxpayer’s income.
For more on the health care law’s mandate penalty, see our June 28 Ask FactCheck, “How Much Is the Obamacare ‘Tax’?“
Medicare’s Finances
The Romney campaign has claimed that reductions in Medicare spending that are part of the Affordable Care Act hurt Medicare’s finances. But as Managing Editor Lori Robertson explains on Connecticut Public Broadcasting, the opposite is true. And such claims falsely imply that Medicare is losing this money and won’t get it back.
For a full explanation on how Medicare Part A’s trust fund works, see our Aug. 24 article “Medicare’s ‘Piggy Bank.’ “
GOP Platform on Abortion
The Republican Party’s 2012 platform calls for a ban on abortion, but is silent on exceptions — leaving that decision up to Congress and the states. However, as FactCheck.org Director Brooks Jackson tells WCBS radio, the Obama campaign falsely claims the GOP platform calls for banning abortions even in cases of rape or incest.
See “Another Abortion Falsehood from Obama’s ‘Truth Team‘” for more information about what the Republican platform says about abortion.
Cutting Medicare?
The Romney campaign says that President Obama’s health care law has cut $716 billion out of Medicare. But that’s a reduction in the future growth of spending over 10 years, not a slashing of the current Medicare budget. And the reduction extends the life of the Medicare trust fund.
Read more about Medicare’s woes and both campaigns’ plans to reduce spending in our Aug. 22 article, “A Campaign Full of Mediscare.”
Distorting Obama’s Economic Plan, Ryan’s Medicare Plan
Both sides are playing loose with the facts in a couple of new TV ads. As FactCheck.org Deputy Director Eugene Kiely explains on WCBS radio, a pro-Romney super PAC takes President Obama’s comment about his second-term economic plan out of context, and an Obama TV ad provides false information about Rep. Paul Ryan’s Medicare plan.
Read more about both ads in our Aug. 13 item “Pro-Romney Super PAC Twists Obama’s Words” and our Aug. 14 item,