March 15, 2010 6:08 pm ET
Myths And Facts On U.S.-Israel Diplomatic Row
A diplomatic crisis between the Israeli government and the United States erupted last week. It began when the Israeli government announced that it would expand settlements in East Jerusalem (the Palestinian part of the city) while Vice President Joseph Biden was visiting Israel. Both the timing of the announcement (Biden was in Israel) and the substance (the United States has consistently opposed settlement activity) infuriated the Obama administration. Additionally, the United States does not recognize East Jerusalem as part of Israel; no country, other than Israel itself, does. The pro-Israel lobbying group, AIPAC, and several members of Congress jumped to criticize the White House for provoking the conflict which, in fact, began because the Israelis announced new settlements.
March 15, 2010 4:04 pm ET
During Health Care Markup, Rep. Ryan Lies About Medical Treatment Research
During the House Budget Committee's markup of the health care reform "fix" on March 15, 2010, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) falsely claimed comparative effectiveness research (CER) would "restrict" doctors' decisions about which treatment they could offer their patients. In reality, the CER board would simply conduct research to evaluate the effectiveness of various medical treatments, NOT recommend or "restrict" treatments.
March 15, 2010 1:38 pm ET
Rep. Ryan Fills Health Care Op-Ed With Distortions
On March 15, 2010, Rep. Paul Ryan published a wildly misleading op-ed in the Washington Post. In it, he uses false attacks to smear the Democratic plan to reform health care and lies about the would-be effects of two of his own proposals, the Patients' Choice Act and Roadmap for America's Future.
March 15, 2010 11:31 am ET
American Solutions Repeats Tired Clean Energy Myths
In a "Solutions Insider" published on March 15, 2010, Newt Gingrich's American Solutions for Winning the Future repeated the rightwing myth that clean energy legislation would "kill millions of jobs and raise costs for American families by thousands of dollars per year." In reality, investing in clean energy would boost America's economy by $111 billion and create up to 1.9 million jobs.
March 15, 2010 10:28 am ET
Fact Checking The Sunday Shows - March 14, 2010
On yesterday's political talk shows, Republican members of Congress repeated worn out obstructionist talking points about health care reform. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) spread lies about the use of reconciliation and falsely equated it to the Republicans' attempt to change Senate rules in 2005. Flying in the face of the facts, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) falsely claimed the plan would cut Medicare benefits, raise premiums, and increase the deficit.
March 15, 2010 9:33 am ET
Americans For Prosperity Keeps Its "Hands Off" The Truth In New Anti-Health Care Ad
The sheer number of lies in Americans for Prosperity's new anti-health care reform ad is astounding. Apparently unaware that it is March 2010, AFP has reverted to repeatedly debunked and obviously false talking points from fall of 2009.
March 12, 2010 6:16 pm ET
American Future Fund's Attack On Sen. Reid Is Breathtakingly Deceitful
The conservative American Future Fund has created a new attack ad seeking to portray Democrats as hypocrites on the process of reconciliation. Their ad highlights various statements made in 2005 in which Senate Democrats opposed a Republican plan to change the rules for confirming judicial nominees. Because they have no facts to attack Democrats on the merits of the argument, they've egregiously resorted to taking quotes out of context. Budget reconciliation and the Republican-led "nuclear option" plan to change the rules of the Senate are entirely separate things.
March 12, 2010 2:55 pm ET
Sen. Inhofe Reprises False "$3,100" Cost Estimate For Clean Energy Bill
During a March 12, 2010 appearance on G. Gordon Liddy's radio show, Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) reprised the early-2009 talking point that clean energy legislation would cost families $3,100 per year. In reality, investing in clean energy would boost America's economy by $111 billion and create up to 1.9 million jobs.
March 12, 2010 1:36 pm ET
Sen. Sessions Repeats Debunked Claim About Christmas Bomber
On March 12, 2010, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) penned a column in the New York Daily News in which he claimed that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab stopped talking after he was read his rights. In reality, the failed underwear bomber was Mirandized after he stopped talking and later resumed talking to the authorities.
March 11, 2010 10:17 am ET
GOP Earmark Banners Requested Over $240M In Earmarks Since 2008
On March 10, 2010, ten Republican congressional leaders released a joint statement announcing their intention to ban earmarks because they have "become a symbol of a broken Washington." Yet despite their new found disdain for the earmarking process, those same ten Republican leaders have requested over $240 million in earmarks since 2008.
March 10, 2010 6:12 pm ET
Rep. Blunt Misrepresents GOP Health Care Plan
During a March 10, 2010 appearance on CNN's Rick's List, Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO) painted a deceptively rosy picture of the Republicans' health care alternative. Despite Blunt's claims, the Republican plan leaves 52 million Americans without health coverage, allows insurers to deny coverage for preexisting conditions, and does less than the Democratic bill to reduce the federal budget deficit.
March 10, 2010 4:12 pm ET
Senate Republicans Twist Sen. Durbin's Remarks On Health Care Premiums
On March 10, 2010, the Senate Republican Conference published a blog post twisting remarks by Sen. Dick Durbin to make it appear as if he was contradicting President Obama's statement two days earlier. While Durbin said "next year's" premiums would increase slightly after the bill is enacted, he stressed that they would increase more rapidly without reform. The president, on the other hand, discussed the long-term impact of the bill.
March 10, 2010 2:56 pm ET
Sen. Kyl Spreads GOP Lies On Fox News
As Congress inches closer to casting the last votes on health care reform, Republicans are out fighting against reform in full force. Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) appeared on Fox News today with a simple goal: throw out as many GOP talking points as possible. Of course, the problem with those talking points is that they're all wrong.
March 09, 2010 4:19 pm ET
After Voting Against Jobs Bill, Rep. Broun Criticizes Lack Of A Jobs Bill
During a floor speech on March 9, 2010, Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) chided the 111th Congress for "not pass[ing] any legislation that would create jobs" during its second session. However, just last week the House voted on and passed the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act, which Broun opposed.
March 09, 2010 3:33 pm ET
Chamber Of Commerce Couldn't "Afford" To Buy Any Facts For Their New Ad
The Chamber of Commerce's health care group, Employers for a Healthy Economy, has created a new anti-health care reform ad. Titled "Afford," the Chamber of Commerce clearly didn't pony up the dough for any actual facts in the short spot.
March 09, 2010 2:32 pm ET
Chamber of Commerce Lies About Health Care Reform
On March 9, 2010, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce published a blog post falsely claiming the Democratic plan for reforming health care would increase premiums, increase the deficit, and kill jobs. In reality, the plan would reduce the deficit, lower premiums, and create up to 4 million American jobs.
March 09, 2010 12:38 pm ET
GOP Leader Alert Wrongly States Health Care Reform Will Kill Jobs
In a "GOP Leader Alert" sent on March 9, 2010, House Minority Leader John Boehner's office repeated the false claim that the Democratic health care reform legislation would kill jobs. In reality, the plan would create up to 4 million American jobs over the next ten years.
March 08, 2010 1:56 pm ET
Rep. Boehner Sticks To False GOP Health Care Talking Points
Responding to the president's remarks on March 8, 2010, Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) repeated multiple debunked claims about Democrats' health care reform legislation. In reality, the plan would rein in insurance company abuses, lower costs, and create up to 4 million American jobs.
March 08, 2010 10:37 am ET
Senate Republicans Falsely Cite CBO
On March 8, 2010, the Senate Republican Conference attacked HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius for falsely citing the Congressional Budget Office. The Senate Republicans misrepresented a CBO disclaimer, implying the nonpartisan office declined to provide out year budget estimates. In reality, Sebelius was citing the CBO accurately.
March 08, 2010 9:17 am ET
Fact Checking The Sunday Shows - March 7, 2010
On yesterday's political talk shows, Republican members of Congress used their time in the spotlight to blandly reiterate the weak GOP talking points on a variety of issues. Senators McConnell and Hatch, however, went even further and made outrageously false claims about Democratic health care reform legislation.
