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The latest Truth-O-Meter items from Miranda Blue
"If you are African-American in this country today, you are likely to have a net worth of about 10 percent of what white families have."
Says he passed a bill to stop a military requirement that wounded soldiers pay for meals and phone calls.
"The estate tax, which came into being by Republicans like Teddy Roosevelt and others ... is there for a real simple reason: In America, we've never liked the idea of massive inherited wealth."
"As governor of Arkansas, I cut taxes and fees almost 100 times, saving the taxpayers almost $380-million. I left a surplus of nearly $850-million."
Huckabee "was one of the highest taxing governors that we had in this country and rivaling Bill Clinton in terms of the Cato ratings."
Clinton has "raised the most money from Washington lobbyists ... from the health industry, drug companies, health insurance companies (and) the defense industry."
"I supported tort reform with regard to securities...product liability...interstate commerce."
"With one stroke of his pen, President Bush has denied health insurance to 3.8 million kids who were due to get it under this bipartisan expansion of the Children's Health Insurance Program."
"I don't think that Rudy or Fred or John McCain support the marriage amendment."
"I have not changed my position on the (gay) marriage amendment or anything else related to marriage."
Recent stories from Miranda Blue
History is not their best subjectPresidential candidates often make historical references to emphasize points or justify positions.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.
Obama zapped by lightning claimThe 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.
Taking stock of 'tax-hike Mike'Fred Thompson says Mike Huckabee raised lots of taxes in Arkansas. Huckabee responds that he cut taxes "almost 100 times." We find Thompson on solid ground but Huckabee stretching the truth.
Thompson torn on tortsUpdate: Fred Thompson has a mixed record on tort reform. He's opposed some bills because of his preference for states' rights, but supported others.
Taking off the gloves in OrlandoThe 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.
Keeping it simple, sometimes wrongThe candidates from both parties want to distill the SCHIP debate into nuggets that satisfy their base voters.
Romney's nuances on gay issuesMitt Romney has consistently opposed gay marriage, but he changed positions on a constitutional amendment on civil unions.
Romney: turning over the turnaround labelIn a rich biography of success, he sometimes overstates his record.
Does Obama practice what he preaches?The freshman senator calls for bipartisanship. But when he votes, it's nearly always with his party.
Miranda Blue is a news researcher for Congressional Quarterly, specializing in politics and elections. She came to CQ from the Center for Responsive Politics, where she reported on campaign finance and lobbying. Miranda is a graduate of Carleton College in Northfield, MN.
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PolitiFact is a project of the St. Petersburg Times to help you find the truth in American politics. Reporters and editors from the Times fact-check statements by members of Congress, the White House, lobbyists and interest groups and rate them on our Truth-O-Meter. We’re also tracking more than 500 of Barack Obama’s campaign promises and are rating their progress on our new Obameter. >> More
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