PolitiFact.com
Statements about History
Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney

Pants on Fire!

Don't know much about history...

"Redistribution" has "never been a characteristic of America."

James Clyburn

James Clyburn

False

Final bills got significant GOP support

When Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid were created, "Republicans stood on the sidelines"

Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton

True

For whatever reason, the pattern's correct

"Since 1961 … our private economy has produced 66 million private-sector jobs. So what's the jobs score? Republicans 24 million, Democrats 42 (million)."

Julian Castro

Julian Castro

Mostly True

Some tried harder than others

"Seven presidents before (Barack Obama) -- Republicans and Democrats -- tried to expand health care to all Americans."

Stephanie Cutter

Stephanie Cutter

False

The Gipper outruns Obama, by a mile

In the past 27 months, President Barack Obama has created more private-sector jobs than "in the Reagan recovery."

Bruce Elfant

Bruce Elfant

True

Undercount

Says 88 Texas constables have died in the line of duty.

Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney

Mostly False

Not "robbed"

Says Barack Obama "robbed Medicare (of) $716 billion to pay for ... Obamacare."

Francisco "Quico" Canseco

Francisco "Quico" Canseco

Half-True

Dwarfed by cost of WWII

Says the "largest tax increase in American history is set to occur on January 1st unless President Obama and Congress can come to an agreement."

Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney

Mostly False

A selective reading of conflicts under Reagan

President Ronald Reagan sent troops into conflict "only in one circumstance, which was in Grenada … We were in a peacekeeping setting in Lebanon."

Paul Broun

Paul Broun

Mostly True

Close enough for government work

The U.S. initially had three federal felonies: treason, piracy, and counterfeiting securities and money.

Charlotte Bergmann

Charlotte Bergmann

Pants on Fire!

Even Reagan had one larger

"Obamacare" represents "the largest tax increase in the history of the world."

Barack Obama

Barack Obama

Mostly False

What about Carter and Clinton?

Says he could be "the first president in modern history to be outspent."

Paul Ryan

Paul Ryan

Mostly False

Study's existence unconfirmed, dang it

Says a national Coca-Cola study showed Texans love Texas more than residents of any other state love their state; Wisconsinites ranked second.

Barack Obama

Barack Obama

Half-True

Figure is correct, but lots of context is missing

"When Mitt Romney was governor, Massachusetts ... (had) more debt per person than any other state in the country."

American Bridge 21st Century

American Bridge 21st Century

Mostly False

Most calculations show an increase

"As Governor: Romney did not keep public safety funding in line with inflation."

Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney

Half-True

It did fall that far, but Romney doesn't get all the credit

As governor of Massachusetts, "Romney reduced unemployment to just 4.7 percent."

Wes Riddle

Wes Riddle

False

Disregards Reagan's first two years as president

Says combined inflation and unemployment rates in October 2011 were the highest since Ronald Reagan succeeded Jimmy Carter.

Barack Obama

Barack Obama

Half-True

A stretch to blame Romney for decades-long manufacturing decline

"When Mitt Romney was governor, Massachusetts lost 40,000 manufacturing jobs, a rate twice the national average."

Eric Fehrnstrom

Eric Fehrnstrom

Half-True

Numbers right, but Romney's role was limited

Massachusetts under Gov. Mitt Romney initially ranked last among states in job growth, but by the end of his governorship, "we were in the middle of the pack."

David Axelrod

David Axelrod

Half-True

Right on stats, but bigger forces beyond Romney

Under Gov. Mitt Romney, Massachusetts ranked "47th in job creation."

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