Abortion has been a long-simmering controversy in the battle over health care reform. Opponents of abortion want to make sure the federal government does nothing to increase the number of abortions even as it expands insurance access to millions. Advocates for abortion rights, on the other hand, want women to have coverage that includes abortion services. Congress, trying to bridge this yawning divide, has created plans that are complicated to explain and easy to distort. We've covered the many claims from the left and the right about how abortion would be treated under health care reform, and you can read ... >>More

The Truth-o-Meter says: Barely True | Gilbert says Staples tried to woo right wing with proposal to cut food aid program

Just before extinguishing Kinky Friedman’s political cigar in the Democratic primary for agriculture commissioner, Hank Gilbert lit into his November opponent, incumbent Republican Todd Staples.In a March 1 news release, Gilbert accused Staples of using some of the state’s most vulnerable residents for political purposes. “Todd Staples recently tried to woo his supporters and right-wing base by suggesting the agriculture commission cut programs intended to feed the elderly and disabled, many of whom are veterans,” the release said.We wondered what Gilbert was talking about.Gilbert’s campaign told us that he was referring to the Texas ...

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There's a stark partisan split on whether health care reform will create jobs or eliminate them. We sorted through the evidence to rate a statement from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. "It's about jobs," she said. "In its life [health care reform] will create 4 million jobs, 400,000 jobs almost immediately." Read our complete analysis to find out why we rated this Half True. >>More

The Truth-o-Meter says: Half-True | Perry says Texas is the fastest growing state with the most Fortune 500 companies

After Gov. Rick Perry won the 2010 Republican nomination for governor Tuesday, he thanked voters in a cinematic Web video posted on his campaign site. The "Leader" video, set to rock music, shows stampeding horses, standing ovations and a glamour shot of Perry. More than 20 proclaimed accomplishments flash by on the screen including two claims PolitiFact Texas hadn't previously checked — that Texas has the "most Fortune 500 companies" and that it's the "fastest-growing state." Superlative claims often draw our attention; sometimes they stretch the truth.We decided to look first at whether Texas ...

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The Truth-o-Meter says: True | White says almost 1 million people are unemployed in Texas — a state record

Former Houston Mayor Bill White, who won the 2010 Democratic nomination for governor Tuesday, wasted no time attacking Gov. Rick Perry's legacy.Hint: White doesn't think it's shaping up so well. "Rick Perry and his consultants and his insiders will take credit for all the good times in Texas," White said. "But they won't take responsibility for the fact that today, there's almost 1 million Texans who are unemployed and that's an all-time record number in our state."The gauntlet is thrown. Do the jobless numbers back White up?According to the Texas Workforce Commission, ...

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The Truth-o-Meter says: True | Perry says Texas has installed more wind power than all but four countries

Federal regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions? "Don't tread on us" sums up the reaction of GOP Gov. Rick Perry, who's running for reelection. In February, the state filed a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency to prevent the regulation of carbon dioxide. Perry has resisted the EPA's finding last year that greenhouse gases are a threat to public health — a verdict that sets the stage for federal regulation. State officials say such curbs could jeopardize jobs and threaten businesses in Texas, which leads the nation in carbon emissions. As evidence that Texas ...

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With President Barack Obama calling for Congress to move toward a reconciliation bill on health care (which would require only a simple majority of 51 votes in the Senate rather than the customary supermajority of 60), many conservative opponents have posted pre-presidential Obama quotes that they say expose his hypocrisy on the issue. We delved into the record of Obama's previous comments on broad consensus vs. 50-plus-one. Read that history and our analysis to find out why we rated him a Full Flop on our Flip-O-Meter. >>More