Chamber of Commerce distorts facts on Medicare

We check two claims from a Chamber of Commerce ad attacking U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and find the group is twisting the facts to scare senior citizens.

By Angie Drobnic Holan :: Published on Tuesday, May 15th, 2012 at 5:17 p.m.

Help us rate Obama's campaign promises

We'll be updating our Obameter ratings in the next few months. We'd love your suggestions about the promises now rated In the Works or Stalled.

By Bill Adair :: Published on Monday, May 14th, 2012 at 8:44 a.m.

Letter from a Rachel Maddow fan

The MSNBC talk show host is unhappy with our Mostly False rating on a claim by the National Right to Life Committee. Here's a letter that a Maddow fan sent to her show about the rating.

By Bill Adair :: Published on Friday, May 11th, 2012 at 9:58 a.m.

Mailbag: You are 'sometimes difficult to defend'

As usual, our readers unloaded their thoughts on us in recent weeks. Here's a sampling of recent reader e-mails and tweets.

By Louis Jacobson :: Published on Thursday, May 10th, 2012 at 4:55 p.m.

Does White House count unborn for tour security?

The National Right to Life Committee says a new email shows the White House recognizes a baby that has not been born for security purposes. We put the claim to the Truth-O-Meter.

By Molly Moorhead :: Published on Wednesday, May 9th, 2012 at 10:56 a.m.

Fact-checking candidate Barack Obama

With the GOP nomination battle settled, the general election campaign is well under way. Here, we take a look at recent fact-checks of statements by President Barack Obama and his campaign.

By Louis Jacobson :: Published on Tuesday, May 8th, 2012 at 12:05 p.m.

The PolitiFact guide to Medicare attack lines

As we move into the general election season, beware of sensational claims about Medicare. Our in-depth report looks at the history and the issues for 2012.

By Angie Drobnic Holan :: Published on Sunday, May 6th, 2012 at 6:00 a.m.

Line by line: How an ad uses sleight-of-hand to distort facts on stimulus

An ad from Americans for Prosperity is a case study in how to weave falsehoods, exaggerations and the occasional fact. We take a closer look.

By Becky Bowers :: Published on Friday, May 4th, 2012 at 2:34 p.m.

Boomerang kids, a Crossroads ad and the media echo chamber

A statistic about college grads returning home got repeated by the media without scrutiny. Here's a look at how it ended up in an American Crossroads ad.

By Louis Jacobson :: Published on Thursday, May 3rd, 2012 at 4:37 p.m.

Bidding farewell to Newt: our five favorite fact-checks

Few candidates provided more colorful claims to check than former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who's finally leaving the Republican primary contest. Here are our favorite Newt-centric fact-checks.

By Louis Jacobson :: Published on Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012 at 5:10 p.m.

A flurry of Half Trues

As the general election campaign heats up, we're seeing a lot of cherry-picking and partially accurate claims.

By Molly Moorhead :: Published on Tuesday, May 1st, 2012 at 11:56 a.m.

Who to blame for the price at the pump? Tough to say

Summer is coming, the general election is cranking up and that means the price of gas will be talked about. A lot. Find out why explaining it -- and figuring out who to blame for it -- isn't so simple.

By Molly Moorhead :: Published on Sunday, April 29th, 2012 at 6:00 a.m.

Books: 'The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Religion and Politics'

We talk with social psychologist and author Jonathan Haidt about politics and fact-checking.

By Angie Drobnic Holan :: Published on Saturday, April 28th, 2012 at 10:00 a.m.

Joe the Plumber turns on the spigot again

Ohio congressional candidate Samuel Wurzelbacher, who gained fame as "Joe the Plumber" during the 2008 presidential election, says President Obama's parents were communists. PolitiFact Ohio put that claim to the Truth-O-Meter.

By Bill Adair :: Published on Friday, April 27th, 2012 at 12:53 p.m.

Checking Romney's secret weapon: Infographics

Mitt Romney's campaign has been attacking President Barack Obama for how the economy has treated key demographic groups. Each time the Romney campaign has used the same tactic: Hurling a blizzard of negative statistics in neatly organized graphics. How accurate are they?

By Louis Jacobson :: Published on Thursday, April 26th, 2012 at 4:48 p.m.