PolitiFact Senior Writer
Louis Jacobson is a senior writer for PolitiFact and the Tampa Bay Times. He has served as deputy editor of Roll Call and as founding editor of its legislative wire service, CongressNow. Earlier, he spent more than a decade covering politics, policy and lobbying for National Journal magazine. Since 2002, he has handicapped political races, including state legislatures, governors, congressional seats, state attorneys general and the electoral college, currently for Governing. In 2004, Jacobson originated the “Out There” column on politics in the states, which ran in Roll Call and later in Stateline.org and which won five annual awards from Capitolbeat, the association of state capitol reporters and editors.
The latest Truth-O-Meter items from Louis Jacobson
"Since ObamaCare and the stimulus passed, the unemployment rate in the U.S. has increased."
"The national debt is equal to $48,700 for every American or $128,300 for every U.S. household. It is now equivalent to the size of our entire economy."
In July 1996, Mitt Romney helped locate the missing teenage daughter of a partner at Bain Capital.
Students today "take more years to get through" college.
"I've never voted for a Democrat when there was a Republican on the ballot."
"We balanced the budget with the 1997 Balanced Budget Act, and ultimately had four consecutive balanced budgets."
Republican-leaning states get more in federal dollars than they pay in taxes.
Says Steve Jobs was responsible for creating more jobs than the stimulus bill.
"Nearly half of all persons under 30 did not go to work today."
"In the last 22 months, businesses have created more than 3 million jobs. Last year, they created the most jobs since 2005."
Recent stories from Louis Jacobson
Does Obama 'demonize,' 'denigrate' almost every sector of our economy?Mitt Romney has adopted a new attack against President Barack Obama -- that the president "demonizes and denigrates almost every sector of our economy." We took a closer look by reviewing dozens of Obama's speeches and public remarks.
PolitiFact's guide to the Florida GOP primaryWe review our fact-checking of the TV ads and debates for the Florida primary.
Fact-checking the Florida primaryWhat were some of the sharpest attack lines of the past week?
Fact-checking the Republican responseIndiana Gov. Mitch Daniels offered the Republican Party's response to Tuesday night's State of the Union address. We checked it for accuracy.
Fact-checking the Republican responseIndiana Gov. Mitch Daniels offered the Republican Party's response to Tuesday night's State of the Union address. We checked it for accuracy.
PolitiFact Florida: Fact-checking the Tampa Republican debateWe continue fact-checking the GOP debate at University of South Florida.
Did Gingrich leave speakership "in disgrace"?Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich are battling to define Gingrich's tenure as House speaker. We take a look at whether Gingrich left the top post "in disgrace."
Previewing Monday's Republican debateWe have a hunch what the candidates will say Monday night because we heard what they said the previous 17 debates. Here are some of the talking points we expect to hear.
Were the early 1960s a golden age for health care?In the Charleston, S.C., Republican debate, Ron Paul said that in the early 1960s, before the advent of Medicare and Medicaid, "there was nobody out in the street suffering (without) medical care." We looked back at statistical data to paint a portrait of how Americans handled health care back then.
Previewing the Republican debate in TampaWe look back at the previous debates and review the most memorable lines.
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