NewsTrust - All Rated Stories

Heather Graham Teaches Us About Polls

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

FactCheck - By Justin Bank - Oct. 23 (Special Report) - The liberal advocacy group MoveOn.org Political Action has released another health care ad featuring a Hollywood celebrity. Last time it was Will Ferrell talking of pygmy horses and executive compensation. This time it’s actress Heather Graham dressing up as a track and field runner (labeled "public option") and challenging health insurance executives to a race. [...]

NewsTrust Rating: 3.8 average - 9 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

Going Out of Business?

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

FactCheck - Oct. 08 (News Analysis) - A new health care ad from a conservative group claims that "Medicare will be bankrupt in eight years." That gives a false impression. The program does have huge financial problems, but there's no reason to think it's going out of business as the word "bankrupt" implies.

NewsTrust Rating: 4.1 average - 5 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

Dying on a Wait List?

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

FactCheck - Aug. 10 (News Analysis) - Perhaps the most emotional of the health care ads we’ve seen in recent months is the one featuring Canadian Shona Holmes, who warns of the dangers of a government-run health care system. Holmes tells viewers: "I survived a brain tumor. But if I’d relied on my government, I’d be dead. … As my brain tumor got worse, my government health care system told me I had to wait six months to see a specialist. In six months, I would have died.”

NewsTrust Rating: 4.3 average - 8 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

Pushing for a Public Plan

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

FactCheck - Jul. 06 (News Analysis) - Liberal groups have hit TV and radio with ads praising the idea of a public health insurance plan, an option that President Obama and other Democrats support as part of changes to the health care system. But the ads lack context and could well mislead the public

NewsTrust Rating: 3.7 average - 6 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

100 Days of Spin

Fri, 01 May 2009 00:00:00 -0700

FactCheck - May. 01 (News Analysis) - After 100 days in office, we find President Obama is sticking to the facts – mostly. Nevertheless, we find that the president has occasionally made claims that put him and his policies in a better light than the facts warrant.

NewsTrust Rating: 3.8 average - 6 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

Doctor's Orders?

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800

FactCheck - By Lori Robertson - Feb. 27 (Special Report) - Critics of comparative effectiveness research, which the government has been funding for decades, claim that it will lead to treatment being approved or denied based on costs. Proponents say it will improve the quality of care and can, in some cases, show that more costly treatments aren't as effective as less expensive alternatives. We can't predict what will happen in the future, but we can say that several claims being made about the impact of the bill are simply opinions being passed off as facts.

NewsTrust Rating: 4.3 average - 17 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

Mining the Minnesota Recount

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

FactCheck - By D'Angelo Gore - Jan. 28 (Special Report) - The outcome of this squeaky-close race now rests with the courts. But even if Coleman wins on all points it's far from certain that he would gain enough votes to change the outcome. When the Canvassing Board was forced to count some disputed absentee ballots, for example, it was Franken who won a majority of them. Now Coleman wants even more rejected absentee ballots opened and counted, but nobody can say if he would get a higher percentage of those, or if he would just see Franken's margin increase.

NewsTrust Rating: 4.6 average - 7 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

Spread the Tax Hooey!

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

FactCheck - By Viveca Novak, Jess Henig - Oct. 26 (News Analysis) - Republicans are misrepresenting Obama's tax proposals right down to the bitter end. New radio ads from the McCain campaign and a TV spot from the pro-Republican group Let Freedom Ring are targeting voters nationwide with some of the same tax deceptions we've been hearing all fall, rolled in a bundle and flung through the airwaves. One of the radio ads features Hank Williams Jr., the other Florida Gov. Charlie Crist. But new packaging doesn't make the charges any less false.

NewsTrust Rating: 4.0 average - 11 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

ACORN Accusations

Sat, 18 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

FactCheck - By Jess Henig, Ronald Lampard - Oct. 18 (Special Report) - The McCain-Palin campaign accuses ACORN, a community activist group that operates nationwide, of perpetrating "massive voter fraud." It says Obama has “long and deep” ties to the group. We find both claims to be exaggerated. But we also find Obama has understated the extent of his work with the group.

NewsTrust Rating: 3.9 average - 4 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

FactChecking Debate No. 2

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

FactCheck - By Brooks Jackson, Viveca Novak, Lori Robertson, Joe Miller, Jessica Henig, Justin Bank - Oct. 08 (News Analysis) - McCain and Obama debated for the second time, in Nashville. We noted some misleading statements and mangled facts:

NewsTrust Rating: 4.1 average - 6 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

Sadly, Mostly True

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

FactCheck - By Brooks Jackson - Oct. 07 (Special Report) - On the eve of their second presidential debate, McCain and Obama released TV ads accusing one another of untruthful attacks. Both are essentially accurate, though each tells only half the story.

NewsTrust Rating: 3.9 average - 4 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

FactChecking Biden-Palin Debate

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

FactCheck - By Brooks Jackson, Viveca Novak, Lori Robertson, Joe Miller, Jessica Henig, Justin Bank - Oct. 03 (Special Report) - * Palin mistakenly claimed that troop levels in Iraq had returned to “pre-surge” levels. Levels are gradually coming down but current plans would have levels higher than pre-surge numbers through early next year, at least. * Biden incorrectly said “John McCain voted the exact same way” as Obama on a controversial troop funding bill. The two were actually on opposite sides

NewsTrust Rating: 4.2 average - 11 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

Who Caused the Economic Crisis?

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

FactCheck - Oct. 02 (News Analysis) - A MoveOn.org Political Action ad plays the partisan blame game with the economic crisis, charging that John McCain’s friend and former economic adviser Phil Gramm “stripped safeguards that would have protected us.” The claim is bogus.

NewsTrust Rating: 4.3 average - 16 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

FactChecking Debate No. 1

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

FactCheck - By Brooks Jackson, Lori Robertson, Justin Bank, Jess Henig, Emi Kolawole, Joe Miller - Sep. 28 (Special Report) - McCain and Obama contradicted each other repeatedly during their first debate, and each volunteered some factual misstatements as well. Here's how we sort them out: * Obama said McCain adviser Henry Kissinger backs talks with Iran "without preconditions," but McCain disputed that. In fact, Kissinger did recently call for "high level" talks with Iran starting at the secretary of state level and said, "I do not believe that we can make conditions." After the debate the McCain campaign issued a statement quoting Kissinger as saying he didn't favor presidential talks with Iran. * Obama denied voting for a bill that called for increased taxes on "people" making as little as $42,000 a year, as McCain accused him of doing. McCain was right, though only for single taxpayers. A married couple would have had to make $83,000 to be affected by the vote, and anyway no such increase is in Obama's tax plan.

NewsTrust Rating: 4.3 average - 10 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

The Whoppers of 2008

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

FactCheck - By Lori Robertson - Sep. 25 (Special Report) - McCain has made multiple false representations of Obama's tax proposals. Obama has made false claims about McCain's stance on Social Security. Both McCain and Obama have traded some whoppers about their energy policies, about Iraq, and about Iran, and about supporting troops.

NewsTrust Rating: 4.4 average - 9 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

Obama's Social Security Whopper

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

FactCheck - By Brooks Jackson - Sep. 21 (Review) - In Daytona Beach, Obama said that "if my opponent had his way, the millions of Floridians who rely on it would've had their Social Security tied up in the stock market this week." He referred to "elderly women" at risk of poverty, and said families would be scrambling to support "grandmothers and grandfathers." That's not true. The plan proposed by President Bush and supported by McCain in 2005 would not have allowed anyone born before 1950 to invest any part of their Social Security taxes in private accounts. All current retirees would be covered by the same benefits they are now. Obama would have been correct to say that many workers under age 58 would have had some portion of their Social Security benefits affected by the current market turmoil - if they had chosen to participate. And market drops would be a worry for those who retire in future decades. But current retirees would not have been affected.

NewsTrust Rating: 3.2 average - 11 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

There He Goes Again

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

FactCheck - By Joe Miller - Sep. 19 (News Analysis) - In what has become an ongoing theme, the McCain-Palin campaign has released yet another ad that makes false claims about Barack Obama's tax plan. The ad, which was released on Sept. 18 and which the campaign says will air nationally, claims that Obama will raise income taxes and will tax "life savings, electricity and home heating oil." As we keep saying, Obama says he'll raise income taxes and capital gains taxes only for couples earning more than $250,000 per year or singles making over $200,000. He has proposed no plans to raise taxes on either home heating oil or electricity.

NewsTrust Rating: 3.8 average - 7 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

Off Base on Sex Ed

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

FactCheck - Sep. 11 (News Analysis) - A McCain-Palin campaign ad claims Obama's "one accomplishment" in the area of education was "legislation to teach 'comprehensive sex education' to kindergarteners." But the claim is simply false, and it dates back to Alan Keyes' failed race against Obama for an open Senate seat in 2004. Obama, contrary to the ad's insinuation, does not support explicit sex education for kindergarteners. And the bill, which would have allowed only "age appropriate" material and a no-questions-asked opt-out policy for parents, was not his accomplishment to claim in any case, since he was not even a cosponsor - and the bill never left the state Senate.

NewsTrust Rating: 4.4 average - 13 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

McCain-Palin Distorts Our Finding

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

FactCheck - Sep. 10 (News Analysis) - With its latest ad, released Sept. 10, the McCain-Palin campaign has altered our message in a fashion we consider less than honest. The ad strives to convey the message that FactCheck.org said "completely false" attacks on Gov. Sarah Palin had come from Sen. Barack Obama. We said no such thing. We have yet to dispute any claim from the Obama campaign about Palin. They call the ad "Fact Check." It says "the attacks on Gov. Palin have been called 'completely false' ... 'misleading.' " On screen is a still photo of a grim-faced Obama. Our words are accurately quoted, but they had nothing to do with Obama

NewsTrust Rating: 4.5 average - 10 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

Maverick Misleads

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

FactCheck - By Lori Robertson, D'Angelo Gore - Sep. 09 (News Analysis) - McCain's campaign launched a TV ad touting his running mate, Palin, and offering a comparison to Obama. Some of its claims are off the mark

NewsTrust Rating: 4.4 average - 19 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

FactChecking McCain

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

FactCheck - Sep. 06 (News Analysis) - Sen. John McCain's acceptance speech to the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul on Sept. 4 was couched more in generalities than in specifics, offering fewer factual claims to check than we found in other speeches to the gathering. But we found some instances where the nominee strained the truth.

NewsTrust Rating: 3.9 average - 8 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

Reed Reality

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

FactCheck - Aug. 22 (News Analysis) - An Obama ad in Georgia ties McCain to former Christian Coalition executive Ralph Reed and the Abramoff lobbying scandal. It doesn't give a full picture.

NewsTrust Rating: 3.5 average - 5 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

Obama's Overstatement

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

FactCheck - By Brooks Jackson, Emi Kolawole - Aug. 05 (News Analysis) - The truth is that McCain's campaign has received $1.33 million from individuals employed in the oil and gas industry, not $2 million. Obama himself has received nearly $400,000, according to the most authoritative figures available. We find the $2 million figure is based on a mistaken calculation.

NewsTrust Rating: 3.3 average - 5 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

A Full Tank of Nonsense

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700

FactCheck - By Viveca Novak - Jul. 22 (News Analysis) - The notion that Obama is singlehandedly, or to any significant degree, or more than most other senators, to blame for the high cost of gas is absurd in too many ways to count here. Okay, we'll give you a couple: Obama has been in the Senate only since 2005. McCain himself said earlier this month that the problem has been decades in the making.

NewsTrust Rating: 4.2 average - 7 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer

AFL-CIO Falsely Attacks McCain

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700

FactCheck - Jul. 11 (News Report) - The AFL-CIO is attacking McCain with a TV spot saying he voted "against increasing health care benefits for veterans." Actually, he voted for increases in those benefits.

NewsTrust Rating: 3.1 average - 6 Reviews » - Review It Visit NewsTrust | About | Sign Up | Disclaimer