The quirkyness of a statement from Rep. Marcy Kaptur caught the eye of the editors at PolitiFact Ohio. They chose one of her comments to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio as the No. 1 PolitiFact Ohio item for 2010.
Her claim: Electric utility FirstEnergy's annual revenues are greater "than the GDP of Haiti, Kyrgyzstan, Iceland, or 15 African nations."
After making more than 100 Truth-O-Meter rulings, the editors who rate the items for PolitiFact Ohio looked back over the year and selected the Top 10 for 2010.
Today we offer No. 2: A statement about economically beleaguered Wilmington, Ohio, which radio host Glenn Beck characterized as a real life Bedford Falls.
After making more than 100 Truth-O-Meter rulings, the editors who rate the items for PolitiFact Ohio looked back over the year and selected the Top 10 for 2010.
Today we offer No. 3: A statement about Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher and his views on gun control. The statement, from Sen.-elect Rob Portman's campaign, led to this story that debunked a decades-old myth.
After making more than 100 Truth-O-Meter rulings, the editors who rate the items for PolitiFact Ohio looked back over the year and selected the Top 10 for 2010.
Today we offer No. 4: A statement about quirky aspects of the tax laws that were part of health care reform legislation. Rep. John Boehner made the statement when he spoke to the City Club of Cleveland in August.
After making more than 100 Truth-O-Meter rulings, the editors who rate the items for PolitiFact Ohio looked back over the year and selected the Top 10 for 2010.
Selections weren't just based on which articles were true or false. In fact, only two that got Pants On Fire ratings — awarded to statements that are both false and ridiculous — made the cut.
PolitiFact Ohio launched July 25 just as the election season was picking up steam. Since then it has reviewed more than 80 statements made by politicians.
And while it's true that the bulk of the statements came from candidates and their campaigns, PolitiFact Ohio's mission didn't end when the voting ended.
As governments in Washington, Columbus and hometown Ohio get back to work, we'll be watching.
Rep. John Boehner said this week that Congress' job, in light of the election, "is to listen to the American people and follow the will of the American people."
PolitiFact Ohio and PolitiFact.com have been listening to Boehner, rating 31 of his statements for accuracy. They show that the speaker-to-be often speaks the truth.
John Kasich"s victory over Gov. Ted Strickland was the culmination of a hard-fought campaign in which both candidates at times taxed the Truth-O-Meter.
PolitiFact Ohio ran eight of Kasich"s statements through the Truth-O-Meter. His average rating was slightly less than Half True.
One thing that's clear this election season: Neither Democrats nor Republicans have a monopoly on truth. To the contrary, their campaign ads suggest that concept is somewhat elusive for both.
Of more than 80 statements PolitiFact Ohio was reviewed since its launch three months ago, nine (so far) were found worthy of the Pants on Fire rating -- five from Democrats and four from Republicans. False ratings were similarly even: six for Democrats and seven for Republicans.
At the other end of the scale, 15 statements from Democrats and 13 from Republicans were found to be True or Mostly True.
PolitiFact Ohio was primed for this fall"s hard-fought governor"s race, ready to examine the candidates" statements on how they would lead the state out of economic hard times and deal with a multibillion-dollar budget hole.
But the two leading candidates, Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland and Republican challenger John Kasich, haven"t come through with those details. They have, however, spent lots of time bashing each other.
And when the candidates did focus on the positive and tout their own records, truth didn"t necessarily rule the day.
With just over a week to go before Election Day, candidates in key races across Ohio are showing no signs of letting up on each other.
Recent polls have the governor"s race as a tossup. Several of the other statewide races remain close. And some key congressional races could play a big role in determining which party controls the House of Representatives in January.
As candidates, and their surrogates, slug it out on the airwaves and in campaign mailings, truth sometimes is becoming a casualty.
PolitiFact Ohio marks its one-month anniversary, noting some of the high points and low points in statements we've reviewed.
One pleasant finding: Ohio has politicians who do tell the truth.