Michael Williams claim about Obama and gas prices No. 8 reader favorite

Michael Williams, a former member of the Texas Railroad Commission, ran for Congress in 2012 before being appointed Texas education commissioner. But a claim he made the previous year, while running for the U.S. Senate, fueled our readers’ No. 8 favorite fact-check of 2012.

In an April 2011 tweet, Williams urged recipients to join him in seeking national policy encouraging all forms of energy production, writing: “Gas prices have gone up $2 since (Barack) Obama took office.”

Williams accurately tracked gas prices on President Obama’s watch.

Yet we rated his statement Half True because it incorrectly implied the president was at fault; key factors driving gas prices are beyond any president’s control.

Our looks at claims by U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, and from a chain email landed 10th and 9th among readers. Those stories along with our check of Williams appear to the right.

We’ll post the No. 7 reader favorite tomorrow.