PolitiFarce

Hinckley’s at Least Half Correct

By Justin Katz | December 28, 2011 |

Yesterday, National Review’s Ramesh Ponnuru suggested that PolitiFact isn’t dealing in facts versus falsehoods so much as making political statements in a way that’s packaged to appear objective: One of the worst features of contemporary politics is the tendency — found on the right, on the left and in between — to label our opponents…

Erroneous, One-Sided Public Discourse Misleads on Tuition

By Justin Katz | October 5, 2011 |

As news consumers across the nation and the globe are aware, on Monday, September 26, the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education approved a policy granting in-state tuition rates to illegal immigrants who attended local high schools. As recently as this spring, the General Assembly explicitly declined to join the twelve other states…

Do They Even Read What They Write?

By Patrick Laverty | October 2, 2011 |

This one was just too easy. First Politifact accuses Terry Gorman of RIILE of issuing a “Mostly False” statement, and then they actually explain how their own ruling is wrong! At issue is a statement that Gorman made about the recent RI Board of Governors offering in-state tuition to illegal aliens. According to the article,…

Yoo Hoo! PolitiFact! How ‘Bout Rating Assertions by the Board of Governors On In-State Tuition For Illegal Aliens?

By Monique Chartier | September 24, 2011 |

It has come to my attention that the ProJo’s infamous PolitiFact is currently investigating one of RIILE‘s several objections to in-state tuition for illegal alien students. So how about some sauce for the gander? In fact, a strong case could be made that all politi-fact checking on this matter should be directed to the RI…

David and PolitiFact on the Same Wavelength

By Justin Katz | September 18, 2011 |

It’s funny what different people find to be of interest in political documents. When I read the letter that David Cicilline sent to Monique regarding his vote against an amendment to Congressional legislation intended to ease rules of engagement restrictions for U.S. troops, what struck me were the careful words related to the right to…

A PolitiFact Social Security Stretch

By Justin Katz | August 9, 2011 |

One can only wonder whether the Providence Journal‘s PolitiFact team reads their own newspaper. The other day, they did what they love most to do (whacking Republican candidates) and graded Senatorial candidate Barry Hinckley “false” for saying that “there’s no money in Social Security.” Theirs is not a new argument — it’s one that partisan…

Retirement Security for Them, Not You

By Justin Katz | August 1, 2011 |

In a nutshell, my take on General Treasurer Gina Raimondo is that she’s free to take the politically risky steps of pushing pension reform because she ultimately lacks the power to implement it; that will fall to the General Assembly and the governor. The far left in the state was tickled by her election and…

Covering Criticism of the Governor

By Justin Katz | March 18, 2011 |

It’s almost humorous. The Providence Journal’s PolitiFact team couldn’t do otherwise than find that Lincoln Chafee broke his campaign promise not to raise taxes without first relieving the burden of state mandates on cities and towns. As if to counter that affront to media darling, on the same page, they declared that he kept his…

Re: Quoth the Meter

By Justin Katz | March 13, 2011 |

To be clear about my description of the PolitiFact process, as it’s been described to me in limited detail, I have to adjust Monique’s paraphrase. My understanding is that a board exists to determine what facts should be examined and what the Truth-o-Meter should read. Presumably, those two decisions are not made at the same…

Quoth the Meter, “Neverwrong”: Once Rated, “The Truth” Cannot be Corrected

By Monique Chartier | March 13, 2011 |

So, yesterday, in addition to highlighting a much needed new website, PolitiFact Bias, and announcing A.R.’s excellent new subject category, Justin revealed that, at the ProJo, a sort of Truth Board is in charge of determining PolitiFact “Truth”-O-Meter ratings participates in the selection of statements for the “Truth”-O-Meter as well as the determination of its…