Kerry is using an exaggerated figure for the cost of the Iraq war in his latest line of attack against Bush, claiming in the latest version of his standard stump speech that the war in Iraq has cost “$200 billion and counting.”
FactCheck Posts
Democratic Group’s Ad Revives “AWOL” Allegation Against Bush
“Texans for Truth” group features another Alabama Guardsman who doesn’t recall seeing Bush in 1972.
Zell Miller’s Attack on Kerry: A Little Out Of Date
Miller slams Kerry for opposing bombers, fighters, and helicopters. That WAS true 20 years ago but not lately.
Update on Kerry’s “Shrinking Middle Class” — Still Shrinking in 2003
In an earlier article, we said Kerry based his claim that “our great middle class is shrinking” on some pretty stale numbers. Now fresh numbers are available — and Kerry’s statement is looking a lot better.
Bush Still Fudging the Numbers on Kerry’s Tax Votes
The Bush-Cheney campaign released a television ad August 23 accusing Kerry of casting “98 votes for tax increases.” The number is an improvement on Bush’s earlier claim that Kerry cast 350 votes for “higher taxes,” which we described as inflated. But even the new, reduced total is padded.
DNC Radio Ad on Terrorism: Accurate (Mostly)
Democratic ad reminds voters: Bush opposed creating the Homeland Security department before he supported it.
Yucca Mountain Mudslide: Both Sides Dissemble on Nuclear Waste Dump in Nevada
MoveOn.org Voter Fund falsely attacks Bush, who comes back with a misleading ad about Kerry.
Swift Boat Veterans Anti-Kerry Ad: “He Betrayed Us” With 1971 Anti-War Testimony
Group quotes Kerry’s descriptions of atrocities by US forces. In fact, atrocities did happen.
Radio Ads Accuse Kerry Of Not Helping Blacks
Summary
The newly established group People of Color United (PCU) began running a series of radio ads August 2 that challenges John Kerry’s record on “helping and hiring Blacks.”
Some of the content is misleading. One ad blames Kerry for ensuring that jobless workers won’t be eligible for an extra 13 weeks of unemployment benefits. It’s true Kerry missed a crucial vote in which an extension of benefits fell just one vote short of Senate passage,
Bush Nails Kerry’s Poor Attendance at Intelligence Committee Hearings
Summary
A Bush-Cheney ’04 ad released Aug. 13 accuses Kerry of being absent for 76% of the Senate Intelligence Committee’s public hearings during the time he served there. The Kerry campaign calls the ad “misleading,” so we checked, and Bush is right.
Official records show Kerry not present for at least 76% of public hearings held during his eight years on the panel, and possibly 78% (the record of one hearing is ambiguous).
Kerry points out that most meetings of the Intelligence Committee are closed and attendance records of those meetings aren’t public,