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Pants on Fire in California; Barely True in Alabama

By Bill Adair
June 6, 2010

Tuesday’s California primary has spawned lots of TV and Web ads, particularly in the race for the Republican nomination for governor. We’ve checked many of them as part of our Message Machine partnership with National Public Radio.

On our segment on NPR’s Weekend Sunday today, we featured three California ads, plus the soon-to-be-a-classic Dale Peterson ad in the race for Alabama agriculture commissioner:

• Steve Poizner earned a Half True for his claim that Meg Whitman opened a separate division of eBay to sell porn.

• Meg Whitman earned a False for her claim that Poizner’s budget as insurance commissioner went up 14 percent.

• Carly Fiorina earned a Pants on Fire for her claim that Barbara Boxer was more concerned with weather than terrorism as a threat to national security

• Dale Peterson got a BarelyTrue for his claim that he served as a Marine during Vietnam.

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More by Bill Adair
John Kitzhaber
stated on July 18, 2014 in a campaign debate:
Oregon “is the most trade-dependent state in the nation”
False
Donald Rumsfeld
stated on February 17, 2013 in an op-ed in the "Washington Post":
Says wrestling was a favorite sport of Abraham Lincoln.
True
Rick Perry
stated on January 8, 2012 in a Republican debate in New Hampshire.:
Says President Barack Obama “is a socialist.”
Pants on Fire!
C.W. Bill Young
stated on February 20, 2010 in a speech to Pinellas County Republicans.:
The Democratic health care plan is a “government takeover of our health programs.”
Pants on Fire!
Dick Cheney
stated on December 30, 2009 in a statement to Politico.:
President Obama “doesn’t … want to admit we’re at war.”
Pants on Fire!
Barack Obama
stated on September 20, 2009 in an interview on Meet the Press:
“Mathematically, the White Sox can still get in the playoffs.”
True

Pants on Fire in California; Barely True in Alabama















Donald Trump
stated on June 23, 2026 in a speech in Macungie, Pennsylvania:

David Jolly
stated on June 11, 2026 in a speech: