FlackCheck.org, our sister website for political literacy, recaps the recent work of SciCheck, our new feature on false and misleading scientific claims that are made by partisans to influence public policy.
FlackCheck.org Video: SciCheck Findings
Paul Knocks Flies and NIH Funding
Sen. Rand Paul made several misleading statements about the National Institutes of Health and some of the research that it funds.
Moving the Goalposts
President Obama says the Affordable Care Act is working “a little bit better than we anticipated,” based on the 11.4 million people who signed up for insurance on the exchanges. That’s better than the administration anticipated, but worse than a CBO projection.
Boehner and Benghazi
House Speaker John Boehner says there are “unanswered questions” about the 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic facility in Benghazi.
Nothing False About Temperature Data
Rep. Gary Palmer falsely claimed on a radio show that temperature data used to measure global climate change have been “falsified” and manipulated.
Huckabee’s False Witnessing
Mike Huckabee made a number of twisted claims about President Obama’s recent reference to the Crusades and the Inquisition at the National Prayer Breakfast.
Obama and ‘American Exceptionalism’
Bobby Jindal revived an old criticism about President Obama’s penchant for multilateralism, but he went too far when he said Obama “won’t proudly proclaim American exceptionalism.”
Overstating Impact of Funding Stalemate
Some Democrats overstated the potential impacts of a congressional stalemate that threatens to leave the Department of Homeland Security without funding after Feb. 27.
Saudi Arabia and the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks
Zacarias Moussaoui, a convicted 9/11 co-conspirator, says members of Saudi Arabia’s royal family helped finance al Qaeda prior to the 2001 terrorist attacks. The Saudi government says that “there’s no evidence to support Moussaoui’s claim.” Who’s right?
Slower Premium Growth Under Obama
Republicans say the average family health insurance premium has increased by $4,154 under President Obama. That’s right — and it’s a much slower rate of growth than under President George W. Bush.