Today’s top news:

Candidates get back to health

Sen. John McCain's new health care plan brings the issue back in focus for the presidential candidates. We check three new claims. >>more

The Attack File
A scorecard checking the attacks on the candidates

Attacker:

 

Target:

Truth-O-Meter says:

Consumer Action Network

Florida Consumer Action Network

"For what we spend in just one week in Iraq, 800,000 children could get health insurance for an entire year."

Mostly true

That money could insure twice as many kids

Obama

Barack Obama

"If Senator Clinton or John McCain had stood up in previous years for increases in fuel efficiency standards . . . then we would not be in this same situation in the first place."

Half-True

McCain took a stand years earlier

Chain e-mail

Chain e-mail

"His true name is Barak Hussein Muhammed Obama."

Pants on fire!

No Muhammed or Mohammed in Obama’s name

Chain e-mail

Chain e-mail

"Obama ... gave almost a million dollars to the (Kenya) opposition campaign who just happened to be his cousin, Raila Odinga."

Pants on fire!

‘Not a cent’ from unrelated Obama

Chain e-mail

Chain e-mail

Obama thinks the national anthem should be "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing."

Pants on fire!

Obama e-mail: It's not The Real Thing

The Truth-O-Meter
A scorecard separating fact from fiction

They said:

   

Truth-O-Meter says:

Obama

Democrat Barack Obama:

"More people without health care since George Bush took office; more children in poverty since George Bush took office."

 

Mostly true

More uninsured, but blame skewed

McCain

Republican John McCain:

"We spend a staggering amount of money on health care — over $2-trillion and almost twice as much as any other country per person."

 

Half-True

First in health spending, but not far ahead

McCain

Republican John McCain:

"My friend, we have increased the size of government by some 40 percent just in the last few years."

 

Mostly true

His percentage is right; his amount is not

Clinton

Democrat Hillary Clinton:

"If you are driving on average in America this summer, you'll save — according to Department of Energy figures — about $70."

 

False

Only if "you" are a family of four

Clinton

Democrat Hillary Clinton:

There are prototype cars that get between 100 and 150 miles per gallon and "we could have those cars in your garages in a couple of years."

 

Barely True

Supercars unlikely in a couple years

On the Tube
Fact-checking the campaign videos

Obama's per-car number is reasonable

Mostly true

A gas tax holiday "would at best provide 30 cents a day for three months for a grand total of $28."

We find his estimate is about right, although he assumes all of the savings would get to consumers.

Other recent videos we've reviewed:

Clinton's video: Clinton and Obama differ on freeze

More videos we've checked

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PolitiFact is a project of the St. Petersburg Times and Congressional Quarterly to help you find the truth in the presidential campaign. Every day, reporters and researchers from the Times and CQ will analyze the candidates' speeches, TV ads and interviews and determine whether the claims are accurate. >> More

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Inside the Meter

By request: keeping count

We've made a few improvements to PolitiFact. For the first time, we're providing a tally of our ratings for each candidate and group. >>more

Numbers game: If a candidate is off with a statistical claim, should they earn a False on the Truth-O-Meter?

PolitiFact named top news site: PolitiFact has been named the "Best Overall Newspaper Web Site" in the Newspaper Association of America Digital Edge awards.

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