Latest Fact-Checks By Catharine Richert

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Ed Schultz
Ed Schultz
stated on May 5, 2010 in a broadcast of the Ed Show:
"Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu received almost $1.8 million from BP over the last decade."
Pants on Fire!
By Catharine Richert • May 14, 2010
Mary Landrieu
Mary Landrieu
stated on May 4, 2010 in an interview on CNN:
"In the last 10 years we've only had 7,000 barrels of oil spilled in the Gulf ... not counting hurricanes. This well is spewing that amount every day and a half."
Mostly True
By Catharine Richert • May 13, 2010
Harry Reid
Harry Reid
stated on May 11, 2010 in a speech on the Senate floor:
On Sandra Day O'Connor: "I think one reason she was a good judge is she had no judicial experience" before she joined the Supreme Court.
False
By Catharine Richert • May 12, 2010
J.D. Hayworth
J.D. Hayworth
stated on April 28, 2010 in an interview on the Fox Business Network:
"Up until two weeks ago, John McCain was a leading proponent of amnesty. Now with me challenging him, suddenly he has changed."
Pants on Fire!
By Catharine Richert • May 5, 2010
Katrina vanden Heuvel
Katrina vanden Heuvel
stated on May 2, 2010 in a roundtable discussion on ABC's 'This Week':
"At the moment, energy companies spend 0.25 percent on R&D."
True
By Catharine Richert • May 3, 2010
Arlen Specter
Arlen Specter
stated on April 21, 2010 in an interview on MSNBC's Daily Rundown:
 "Congress can tell [the Supreme Court] which cases they ought to hear. We have that authority."
True
By Catharine Richert • April 29, 2010
George Will
George Will
stated on April 25, 2010 in a panel discussion on ABC This Week:
 "What the Arizona law does is make a state crime out of something that already is... a federal crime."
Mostly True
By Catharine Richert • April 28, 2010
Bob Corker
Bob Corker
stated on April 25, 2010 in an interview on ABC's This Week:
The Banking Committee voted a 1,336-page bill "out of committee in 21 minutes with no amendments, with the understanding that before the bill came to the floor, we would reach this bipartisan agreement."
Mostly True
By Catharine Richert • April 25, 2010
House Natural Resources Committee Republicans
House Natural Resources Committee Republicans
stated on April 5, 2010 in a news release posted on his website.:
"Obama did not open new lands to offshore drilling – all of these areas were already open for drilling once Congress and President Bush lifted the moratorium in 2008. Instead, President Obama yesterday announced what areas he would CLOSE to offshore drilling."
Mostly False
By Catharine Richert • April 23, 2010
Paul Ryan
Paul Ryan
stated on March 31, 2010 in a speech to the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs:
In 2004, "20 percent of U.S. households were getting about 75 percent of their income from the federal government. ... Another 20 percent were receiving almost 40 percent."
Mostly False
By Catharine Richert • April 21, 2010
Richard Shelby
Richard Shelby
stated on March 25, 2010 in a letter to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner:
"The bill reported out of committee sets up a $50 billion slush fund that, while intended for resolving failing firms, is available for virtually any purpose that the treasury secretary sees fit."
False
By Catharine Richert • April 16, 2010
Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert
stated on April 12, 2010 in an interview on Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report":
John Paul Stevens is the only Protestant on the U.S. Supreme Court.
True
By Catharine Richert • April 14, 2010
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
stated on March 31, 2010 in an announcement at Andrews Air Force Base :
On oil drilling
No Flip
By Catharine Richert • March 31, 2010
Lindsey Graham
Lindsey Graham
stated on March 24, 2010 in an appearance on the Fox News show "On the Record" with Greta Van Susteren:
"The average student will be spending $1,700 to $1,800 more during the life of their loan because of this surcharge."
False
By Catharine Richert • March 30, 2010
Charlie Crist
Charlie Crist
stated on March 28, 2010 in a U.S. Senate primary debate on FOX News Sunday:
"The average cost for health insurance in Florida went from about $600 a month for an individual to about $150 a month."
False
By Catharine Richert • March 29, 2010
Marco Rubio
Marco Rubio
stated on March 28, 2010 in a U.S. Senate primary debate on FOX News Sunday:
"Just this week we received the news that for the first time Social Security is now paying out more in benefits than it's taking in. That was something that was supposed to happen in 2016."
True
By Catharine Richert • March 28, 2010
Tom Coburn
Tom Coburn
stated on March 23, 2010 in comments to reporters:
"The American people will be appalled to learn the health care bill exempts (congressional) leadership and committee staff."
Mostly True
By Catharine Richert • March 26, 2010
Cliff Stearns
Cliff Stearns
stated on March 15, 2010 in a speech on the House floor:
"There is no precedent for what the Democrats are doing with this deception. ... We have never written a reconciliation bill to amend a law that does not exist."
Half-True
By Catharine Richert • March 17, 2010
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh
stated on March 9, 2010 in his talk show:
People "can't go fishing anymore because of Obama."
Pants on Fire!
By Catharine Richert • March 17, 2010
Chain email
Chain email
stated on March 10, 2010 in a Facebook status update message:
"Obama has proposed a 1.4% pay increase for active duty military in 2011. This is THE LOWEST SINCE 1973 ... A LOWER PAY INCREASE THAN WELFARE RECIPIENTS!!!"
Mostly False
By Catharine Richert • March 11, 2010
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