Mix 'n match creditors with causes

We take apart popular notions on foreign debt and oil imports. Economists say the relationship is complicated.

By Angie Drobnic Holan :: Published on Friday, June 20th, 2008 at 01:41 p.m.

Obama's Rezko connection

After Obama's longtime fundraiser was convicted on federal fraud and money laundering charges, the Republican National Committee went on the attack.

By Robert Farley :: Published on Thursday, June 19th, 2008 at 12:35 p.m.

Clinton vs. the Truth-O-Meter

In this column, PolitiFact editor Bill Adair traces the Clinton campaign through our Truth-O-Meter rulings. The turning point was Bosnia.

By Bill Adair :: Published on Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008 at 10:11 a.m.

Clinton's calendar miscalculation

History is not on Sen. Hillary Clinton's side with references to '92, '68 elections.

By Angie Drobnic Holan, Stephanie Garry :: Published on Monday, May 26th, 2008 at 05:48 p.m.

It's not the Clinton you think

"Clinton pastor" convicted of child sex abuse, says a newspaper Web site and a posting on an Obama campaign blog. It's a recipe for outrage.

By Bill Adair :: Published on Wednesday, May 14th, 2008 at 06:57 p.m.

Was McCain born in the USA?

The senator's birth overseas in a military zone raises a vexing question about whether he's eligible to be president. Since the issue rests on legal opinions, we'll explain the arguments but skip the Truth-O-Meter.

By Robert Farley :: Published on Monday, May 12th, 2008 at 04:43 p.m.

Polled position: gas taxes and supercars

The gas tax won't save you much and supercars will have to wait. Why can't there be an easy answer for sticker shock at the pump?

By Angie Drobnic Holan, Robert Farley :: Published on Tuesday, May 6th, 2008 at 06:39 p.m.

Clinton's long haul on foreclosures

Clinton — and Obama — spoke up early on mortgage problems.

By Bill Adair, Angie Drobnic Holan :: Published on Thursday, May 1st, 2008 at 03:43 p.m.

Capital gains taxes demystified

McCain gets it half right on capital gains taxes while debate moderators pin down Clinton and Obama on where they stand.

By Angie Drobnic Holan :: Published on Tuesday, April 29th, 2008 at 05:11 p.m.

Wright not Clinton's spiritual adviser

The Rev. Wright was one of more than 100 religious leaders invited to a prayer breakfast at the White House in 1998, but there's no indication he provided the Clintons any spiritual counseling.

By Robert Farley :: Published on Friday, April 25th, 2008 at 06:53 p.m.

Gas taxes, on holiday

The RNC is right that Obama once supported a gas tax "holiday," but a video glosses over some key details.

By Bill Adair :: Published on Thursday, April 24th, 2008 at 06:01 p.m.

In Pa., 11th-hour attacks on health care

As the Pennsylvania primary looms, health care takes center stage in campaign ads

By Angie Drobnic Holan :: Published on Monday, April 21st, 2008 at 06:00 p.m.

Trying to be tough on Big Oil

Dueling ads from Obama and Clinton say their opponent is weak on Big Oil. We find some truth and exaggerations on both sides.

By Bill Adair, Angie Drobnic Holan :: Published on Thursday, April 17th, 2008 at 12:58 p.m.

Vanilla in Phila.

The Philly debate was a relatively tame affair, but it brought a new controversy into the campaign: Obama's ties to a former member of the Weather Underground. We check the facts.

By Bill Adair :: Published on Wednesday, April 16th, 2008 at 09:59 p.m.

Bill's Bosnia blunder

In defending his wife's mistakes about sniper fire in Bosnia, Bill Clinton makes a few of his own.

By Angie Drobnic Holan :: Published on Friday, April 11th, 2008 at 12:54 p.m.

Clinton: More than sightseer diplomacy

The true significance of Clinton's first lady travels is somewhere between the overstatement of her presidential campaign and the dismissal of her critics.

By Angie Drobnic Holan, Robert Farley :: Published on Friday, April 4th, 2008 at 06:30 p.m.

The Iraq war, for $100 month

We find Obama is right about how much households pay for the war.

By Bill Adair :: Published on Tuesday, April 1st, 2008 at 01:46 p.m.

Manipulating the bill counts

A chain e-mail uses apples-to-oranges comparisons to assert that Obama is a more active senator than Clinton.

By Adriel Bettelheim :: Published on Friday, March 28th, 2008 at 06:01 p.m.

FACT SHEET: Clinton. Obama. Their bills.

We compare the legislative accomplishments of the Democratic candidates.

By Adriel Bettelheim :: Published on Friday, March 28th, 2008 at 06:01 p.m.

Take a look at Clinton's travels

In eight years as first lady, Sen. Clinton visited 82 countries. We catalog each trip on an interactive map.

By Angie Drobnic Holan, Robert Farley :: Published on Friday, March 28th, 2008 at 05:52 p.m.

President Clinton again on attack

Former President Bill Clinton claims Sen. Barack Obama "said one thing and did another" by accepting lobbyist money.

By Robert Farley :: Published on Thursday, March 27th, 2008 at 06:09 p.m.

100 years of latitude

It's all over the news that Sen. Barack Obama claims Sen. John McCain will let the war in Iraq go on for 100 years. Obama is taking liberties with what McCain said, as we told you weeks ago.

By Bill Adair :: Published on Tuesday, March 25th, 2008 at 06:29 p.m.

Trip details trip Clinton

Video footage shows meet-and-greet but no snipers on First Lady's 1996 Bosnia trip

By Angie Drobnic Holan :: Published on Tuesday, March 25th, 2008 at 05:46 p.m.

Chain e-mail fudges tax numbers

A chain e-mail on taxes makes a lot of points, not all of them right.

By Angie Drobnic Holan :: Published on Monday, March 24th, 2008 at 07:16 p.m.

Keystone attacks

The Pennsylvania primary is six weeks away, but the charges have been flying fast and furiously. We check the facts on some claims.

By Bill Adair :: Published on Wednesday, March 12th, 2008 at 06:45 p.m.

Ready for the 3 a.m. call?

Clinton says she's skilled at foreign affairs because of her work as first lady on Northern Ireland, China and Kosovo. We check the facts to see what she did.

By Bill Adair, Angie Drobnic Holan :: Published on Monday, March 10th, 2008 at 06:40 p.m.

Obama's 20 years of experience

We examine Barack Obama's resume and find 20 years of public service work.

By Angie Drobnic Holan :: Published on Friday, March 7th, 2008 at 12:31 p.m.

Campaign finance: Deal or no deal?

Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama are engaged in a battle on the validity of a March 2007 agreement to accept public financing — and its $84.1-million limit — for the general election.

By Amy Hollyfield :: Published on Monday, March 3rd, 2008 at 07:55 p.m.

Spend-O-Meter vs. Truth-O-Meter, Part II

In November, the Republican National Committee oversimplified the cost of Sen. Hillary Clinton’s policy proposals. Now, the RNC does a similarly overstated assessment of Sen. Barack Obama’s plans.

By Ryan Kelly, Adriel Bettelheim :: Published on Friday, February 29th, 2008 at 06:41 p.m.

Mistakes on the lake

In the Cleveland showdown between the Democrats, Obama and Clinton get fast and loose with the facts. We find Clinton is right about Obama's committee work but is wrong that he wants to bomb Pakistan.

By Bill Adair :: Published on Wednesday, February 27th, 2008 at 06:36 p.m.

Unpacking the home mortgage plans

Sen. Hillary Clinton has promoted her plan to address the foreclosure crisis with various freezes, but she sometimes leaves crucial details out of her public comments. Sen. Barack Obama, meanwhile, takes aim at the inflated rhetoric and misses.

By Angie Drobnic Holan :: Published on Tuesday, February 26th, 2008 at 06:06 p.m.

Obama bashes Clinton on NAFTA

Barack Obama charges Hillary Clinton with flip-flopping on NAFTA. He repeats a false detail, while getting the big picture right.

By Bill Adair, Angie Drobnic Holan :: Published on Monday, February 25th, 2008 at 06:40 p.m.

FACT SHEET: Clinton. Obama. Votes.

The top Democrats offer competing visions of leadership, but their voting records are nearly identical.

By Adriel Bettelheim :: Published on Monday, February 25th, 2008 at 10:26 a.m.

Texas Two-Step

The Democratic debate in Austin was a polite affair. But we found plenty of facts to check.

By Bill Adair :: Published on Friday, February 22nd, 2008 at 03:00 p.m.

Adding up Clinton's 35-year claim

The New York senator often boasts of 35 years in politics. We do the math and find one of her claims is way off, but that her general point about political experience is largely accurate.

By Bill Adair :: Published on Tuesday, February 19th, 2008 at 03:49 p.m.

Clinton's not-so-radical past

A chain e-mail says Clinton sympathized with the Black Panthers and interned for a law firm run by a Communist. The source? An article by Clinton adviser-turned-foe Dick Morris.

By Robert Farley :: Published on Friday, February 15th, 2008 at 06:04 p.m.

Obama's "present" tension

When he was in the Illinois state senate, Barack Obama sometimes voted to block bills without formally opposing them, which has raised questions of political expedience.

By Adriel Bettelheim :: Published on Wednesday, February 13th, 2008 at 04:47 p.m.

When presidents play politics

Bill Clinton inaccurately defends his own statements from the campaign trail, while George W. Bush takes a questionable shot at Barack Obama.

By Angie Drobnic Holan :: Published on Tuesday, February 12th, 2008 at 04:56 p.m.

Hope . . . and the facts

In a Virginia speech, Barack Obama said polls show he could beat John McCain by 6 points. We find he's right about the polls, but wrong about gas prices and he misstates what Hillary Clinton's said about a bankruptcy bill.

By Bill Adair :: Published on Monday, February 11th, 2008 at 06:17 p.m.

FACT SHEET: Endorsements

Clinton has the endorsement of Jack Nicholson. McCain has Sylvester Stallone. Ron Paul is backed by a late-night radio personality named Waldo. We examine the endorsements of each candidate.

By Bill Adair, Angie Drobnic Holan :: Published on Friday, February 8th, 2008 at 06:05 p.m.

The Obama abortion debate

Obama's "present" votes on abortion in the Illinois senate become fodder for Clinton attacks.

By Bill Adair, Angie Drobnic Holan :: Published on Wednesday, February 6th, 2008 at 07:10 p.m.

Super scramble

In the final hours before Super Tuesday, the candidates traded charges on everything from the economy to political pork. We examined their claims and found they were largely correct.

By Bill Adair :: Published on Monday, February 4th, 2008 at 07:25 p.m.

Obama: Clinton too much like McCain

At the heart of a speech promoting his own candidacy, Obama charges that Clinton and McCain are too much alike at a time when Democrats need to present a clear distinction.

By Angie Drobnic Holan :: Published on Friday, February 1st, 2008 at 06:38 p.m.

FACT SHEET: Economic policy

We check out the latest on President Bush's economic stimulus package and where the candidates stand on economic issues.

By Angie Drobnic Holan :: Published on Wednesday, January 30th, 2008 at 06:43 p.m.

He said, she said

The Democratic debate in Myrtle Beach featured sharp comments by Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. We found Clinton continued to distort Obama's comments about Ronald Reagan, while other claims were closer to the truth.

By Bill Adair :: Published on Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008 at 07:10 p.m.

The military signing bonus squabble

Hillary Clinton says the Pentagon is trying to take away the signing bonuses of soldiers who get wounded in combat and that she's part of an effort in Congress to end the practice. But her words are somewhat misleading.

By Robert Farley :: Published on Monday, January 21st, 2008 at 08:08 p.m.

FACT SHEET: Immigration

A breakdown of the immigration issue, including candidate-by-candidate positions.

By Adriel Bettelheim :: Published on Tuesday, January 15th, 2008 at 06:11 p.m.

The "Fairy Tale" Fracas

A Clinton attack on Barack Obama's Iraq record turns into a campaign brawl. We look at what's a fairy tale and what's not.

By Angie Drobnic Holan :: Published on Monday, January 14th, 2008 at 06:31 p.m.

Examining their Senate records

Wondering what Obama has accomplished in the Senate? Here's our examination of the candidates' Senate accomplishments, which was prompted by a New Year's Eve attack by Sen. Joe Biden.

By Adriel Bettelheim :: Published on Tuesday, January 8th, 2008 at 04:55 p.m.

Who's the candidate of change?

It’s a matter of opinion which Democratic front-runner is the candidate of change, but here are some PolitiFact rulings that might help you decide.

By Bill Adair, Amy Hollyfield :: Published on Monday, January 7th, 2008 at 07:20 p.m.

Two parties, one night

We find some truth, some exaggerations and a Pants-on-Fire falsehood at the dual debates in New Hampshire.

By Bill Adair :: Published on Sunday, January 6th, 2008 at 06:56 p.m.

FACT SHEET: Who was in military?

They want to be commander in chief, but most of the presidential candidates have not served in the military. Our survey of their resumes finds that five of the 15 candidates have military experience.

By Angie Drobnic Holan :: Published on Friday, December 21st, 2007 at 10:46 a.m.

History is not their best subject

Presidential candidates often make historical references to emphasize points or justify positions. A lot of the time, though, they get their facts wrong -- to the dismay of historians.

By John Frank :: Published on Tuesday, December 18th, 2007 at 05:28 p.m.

PolitiFact's greatest hits

Our Top 10 Truth-O-Meter rulings cover the Pledge of Allegiance, military shrinkage and crime linkage. We also examine whether God has a position on the Iowa caucuses.

By Bill Adair :: Published on Monday, December 17th, 2007 at 04:37 p.m.

Income gap is big, but so are its causes

Democrats want you to know the income gap between the rich and the rest of us is at highs not seen since the eve of the Great Depression. That doesn't mean it's Bush's fault.

By Wes Allison :: Published on Friday, December 14th, 2007 at 01:28 p.m.

Commie e-mail quiz gets an F

An anonymous e-mail makes the case that Sen. Clinton holds the same beliefs as Karl Marx and Joseph Stalin by using communist-sounding quotes. But the e-mail presents her statements out of context or distorts them.

By Angie Drobnic Holan :: Published on Wednesday, December 12th, 2007 at 04:59 p.m.

Ham & cheese, hold the bureaucracy

Hillary Clinton is right about the tangled rules of federal food inspections. If you think the sandwich rules are silly, check out the guidelines for pepperoni pizza.

By Bill Adair :: Published on Monday, December 10th, 2007 at 06:37 p.m.

Romney's Hillary health care problem

The former Massachusetts governor bashes so-called HillaryCare while others accuse him of using it.

By Jennifer Liberto :: Published on Friday, December 7th, 2007 at 07:09 p.m.

Ridiculous, petty — but true

The Clinton campaign trots out quotes from Obama’s kindergarten teacher to prove that he’s been aiming for the White House longer than he admits. Seriously.

By Amy Hollyfield :: Published on Thursday, December 6th, 2007 at 07:19 p.m.

Clinton vs. Obama: dueling health plans

Clinton says Obama leaves 15-million uncovered; he calls his plan "universal." Who's right?

By Angie Drobnic Holan :: Published on Monday, December 3rd, 2007 at 07:24 p.m.

FACT SHEET: Who has been to Iraq?

We surveyed the 16 candidates to find out which ones have visited Iraq since the start of the war in March 2003. As of December 2007, nine have. Here are our findings along with a brief synopsis of each candidate's position on the war, taken from their Web sites.

By Amy Hollyfield :: Published on Monday, December 3rd, 2007 at 05:24 p.m.

Why facts matter

In an essay, PolitiFact editor Bill Adair explains why facts are important — and why we nitpick.

By Bill Adair :: Published on Friday, November 30th, 2007 at 04:39 p.m.

Frustration with forms

Clinton and Richardson are right that Americans are frustrated with long college aid forms, but their numbers don't add up.

By Jeffrey S. Solochek :: Published on Tuesday, November 20th, 2007 at 06:25 p.m.

Spend-O-Meter vs. Truth-O-Meter

Once you accept some assumptions about how they did the math, the RNC does a pretty good job crunching Clinton's numbers.

By David Baumann :: Published on Monday, November 19th, 2007 at 07:06 p.m.

The intel numbers game

Rudy Giuliani blames President Clinton for the sad state of the intelligence budget.

By Shawn Zeller :: Published on Monday, November 19th, 2007 at 05:46 p.m.

Obama zapped by lightning claim

The Democrats slugged it out in a Las Vegas debate. We found several claims were true, but Obama was wrong about the probability of lightning strikes vs. undocumented worker prosecutions and Richardson was way off about the popularity of Vice President Cheney and HMOs.

By Bill Adair :: Published on Friday, November 16th, 2007 at 06:32 p.m.

Making 'disruption' equal 'destruction'

Rudy Giuliani frequently attacks Hillary Clinton over her views on the free market, but he's blatantly misquoting her.

By John Frank :: Published on Tuesday, November 13th, 2007 at 06:18 p.m.

Decoding the Clinton records ruckus

Sen. Clinton's records as first lady are stuck in an archivist quagmire, but that doesn't mean President Clinton couldn't be helping.

By Angie Drobnic Holan :: Published on Friday, November 9th, 2007 at 12:00 a.m.

What's in a resume?

The candidates have been making boasts and attacking each other over who has the most experience. We check their math.

By Michael Van Sickler :: Published on Tuesday, November 6th, 2007 at 05:13 p.m.

The "blank check" brouhaha

Obama and Clinton argue about Iran, but they agree on most aspects of U.S. policy.

By Bill Adair, Angie Drobnic Holan :: Published on Monday, October 29th, 2007 at 07:45 p.m.

Mud in your inbox

A Special Report: Chain e-mails spread rumors about candidates at warp speed. But they often distort the truth, as we found with one that falsely claims Hillary Clinton refused to meet with the Gold Star Mothers.

By Bill Adair :: Published on Saturday, October 20th, 2007 at 10:41 p.m.

Suggestions from our readers

Our special report on chain e-mails was suggested by several readers who had received the Clinton and Obama e-mails. If you have a suggestion for facts we should check, click here to email us.

By Bill Adair :: Published on Friday, October 19th, 2007 at 10:46 p.m.

Taking off the gloves in Orlando

The Republican candidates mixed it up during a lively debate in Orlando. They stretched the truth on crime and defense, while Huckabee was Pants-On-Fire wrong about the Founding Fathers.

By Bill Adair :: Published on Friday, October 19th, 2007 at 04:43 p.m.

Clinton health claims a stretch

A campaign ad is accurate on Clinton's support for reserve troops and 9/11 workers, but inflates her stature on health care.

By Angie Drobnic Holan :: Published on Thursday, October 11th, 2007 at 05:22 p.m.

Democrats race to oppose Iraq most

To stand out in the field of Iraq opponents, the Democratic candidates are angling to be first or best or most opposed.

By Angie Drobnic Holan :: Published on Monday, October 1st, 2007 at 07:49 p.m.

Bill on Hillary: She can win anywhere

Bill Clinton’s numbers are right, but they don’t quite add up

By Lissa August :: Published on Sunday, September 23rd, 2007 at 11:01 p.m.

Biden's Iraq plan detailed enough to draw praise - and critics

More than a year ago, the Delaware Democrat offered a plan on Iraq. But he's no longer the only one.

By Angie Drobnic Holan :: Published on Friday, September 14th, 2007 at 04:47 p.m.

Does Obama practice what he preaches?

The freshman senator calls for bipartisanship. But when he votes, it's nearly always with his party.

By David Baumann :: Published on Sunday, September 9th, 2007 at 07:34 p.m.

Clinton fails English exam - twice

Clinton overstates the implications of making English the official U.S. language.

By David DeCamp :: Published on Friday, August 31st, 2007 at 10:04 a.m.

Dodd exaggerates influence on Iraq

Dodd says in a TV ad that he persuaded Clinton and Obama to support a March 2008 withdrawal from Iraq. But there's little evidence he was a factor in their decisions.

By Bill Adair :: Published on Tuesday, August 28th, 2007 at 09:42 a.m.

They all believe in God

Mike Huckabee says there are “probably plenty” of presidential candidates who do not believe in God. But the major candidates say they are all believers.

By Angie Drobnic Holan :: Published on Thursday, June 14th, 2007 at 05:41 p.m.