Latest Stories By Dave Umhoefer

Showing 37-48 of 86 items

The High Five for March: jobs, guns, poverty

Readers flocked to items that sought to settle the facts and shed light on Wisconsin's employment picture, Rep. Paul Ryan's comments on poverty, Senator Ron Johnson's take on gun-control and the state of the state budget.

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The battle over early voting access: How many votes are really at stake?

Political scientists don't see a dramatic difference in overall voter turnout when early voting is expanded or limited, but there's emerging evidence that African-American turnout falls when the chance to vote early is reduced.

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Walker, Dems tilt (a bit) toward True on State of the State night

With the 2014 elections approaching fast, Republican Gov. Scott Walker rolled out his state of the state speech, touting an improved economy and a big budget surplus. He and Democratic opponents recycled several of their greatest hits.

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Solving the “mystery” of Scott Walker’s college years and entry into politics

We take a close look at Gov. Scott Walker’s start in Republican politics at Marquette University. Was he "kicked out" of school as the Democratic Party of Wisconsin suggests? Did he leave college just short of a degree for a great career opportunity, as he says?

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High Five for November: Walker and Burke

Gov. Scott Walker's property-tax claim, his campaign promises and his new book dominated online traffic at PolitiFact Wisconsin in November. A claim by likely Democratic challenger Mary Burke also drew a big audience.

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Candidates by any other name: Do they smell as sweet?

Striving to concoct a negative image for opponents, political partisans are playing the age-old Name Game for keeps as Wisconsin enters a big 2014 campaign season. In the governor's race, "Millionaire Mary" takes on "Governor Ultrasound."

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Walker making news on book tour

Scott Walker became the ubiquitous governor in the days before and after the release of his political memoir, giving one national media interview after another.

We take a look at what he said that's new and note where he made comments related to previous PolitiFact articles.

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Fact-checking Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s new book

Walker may not be as attention-grabbing as some other Republicans, but he's widely considered a possible contender for president in 2016. PolitiFact Wisconsin recently fact-checked his new political memoir, Unintimidated: A Governor's Story and a Nation's Challenge.

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Fact-checking Gov. Scott Walker’s new book

In his new memoir, Gov. Scott Walker recounts how he secretly crafted a plan "that gets rid of the unions and eliminates collective bargaining." He dwells on the state of state government’s finances prior to his election and argues for how much better they are now.

And he takes a few pokes at President Obama’s Washington.

We take a look at how Walker's claims -- new and old -- stack up on the Truth-O-Meter.

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Promises, promises: Gov. Scott Walker, the Walk-O-Meter and 2014

Barring something unforeseen, Gov. Scott Walker will stand for election for the third time in four years in November 2014. One year out, we examine his record on keeping campaign pledges he made in the 2010 contest. Sneak preview: he's keeping far more than he's breaking.

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The High Five: Our most-clicked items for September

Reader favorites last month dealt with the jobs picture, the state budget and a review of Truth-O-Meter items on Obamacare just days before the government shutdown.

We promise to remain open for business, no matter what happens in Washington.

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In Context: Scott Walker’s critiques of the Mitt Romney 2012 presidential campaign

Might Gov. Scott Walker's blunt critiques of the Romney campaign come back to haunt his nascent presidential aspirations for 2016?

With our In Context feature, we review the record but will let you decide.

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Showing 37-48 of 86 items