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    In an award-winning journalism career spanning nearly three decades, Glenn Kessler has covered foreign policy, economic policy, the White House, Congress, politics, airline safety and Wall Street. He was The Washington Post's chief State Department reporter for nine years, traveling around the world with three different Secretaries of State. Before that, he covered tax and budget policy for The Washington Post and also served as the newspaper's national business editor. More »
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Fact Checker Archive: Candidate Record

Greatest Hits of the 2008 campaign

The original Fact Checker ended on the last day of the 2008 election campaign. These are a few of his favorite bloopers and howlers from the long, winding campaign trail.

By Michael Dobbs  | November 3, 2008; 9:55 AM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (34)
Categories:  4 Pinocchios, Barack Obama, Candidate Record, Candidate Watch  
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John McCain's 'Trick or Treat'?

The McCain camp has come up with a new villain to scare away votes from Barack Obama on the eve of Halloween: a professor of Middle East studies at Columbia University. Boo!

By Michael Dobbs  | October 30, 2008; 6:13 PM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (120)
Categories:  2 Pinocchios, Barack Obama, Candidate Record, Candidate Watch  
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Is Obama Guilty of 'Infanticide'?

Sarah Palin has accused Barack Obama of wanting to withhold medical treatment from children born alive as the result of bungled abortions. Obama says pro-lifers have "lied" about his record. The Fact Checker adjudicates.

By Michael Dobbs  | October 24, 2008; 4:47 PM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (119)
Categories:  2 Pinocchios, Barack Obama, Candidate Record, Candidate Watch, Health, Social Issues  
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Just a Four-Letter Word?

John McCain has twisted the meaning of Obama quotes by the addition of a seemingly innocuous, four-letter word. The Illinois senator never said that William Ayers was "just" a guy in his neighborhood.

By Michael Dobbs  | October 22, 2008; 1:52 PM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (61)
Categories:  3 Pinocchios, Barack Obama, Candidate Record, Candidate Watch  
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Final Presidential Debate Fact Check

Join the Fact Checker and Friends for live truth squadding of the final presidential debate from Hofstra University.

By Michael Dobbs  | October 15, 2008; 8:12 PM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (321)
Categories:  Barack Obama, Candidate Record, Economy, Live Fact Check, Social Issues  
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'Jobs, Baby, Jobs'

The Obama and McCain campaigns have provided widely different estimates about the cost of a new Obama job creation plan. The Fact Checker adjudicates.

By Michael Dobbs  | October 14, 2008; 5:44 PM ET  |  Permalink  |  Comments (87)
Categories:  2 Pinocchios, Barack Obama, Candidate Record, Candidate Watch, Economy  
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Older Entries in This Category »

Four Pinocchios for Palin, Michael Dobbs , October 13, 2008
Did Obama "lie" about Ayers?, Michael Dobbs , October 10, 2008
Second Presidential Debate: Nashville, Michael Dobbs , October 7, 2008
McCain fudges his Navy record, Michael Dobbs , October 6, 2008
VP Debate Part II, Michael Dobbs , October 3, 2008
Palin twists the facts on Darfur, Michael Dobbs , October 3, 2008
The Art of Meaningless Spin, Michael Dobbs , September 29, 2008
McCain 'Works the Refs', Michael Dobbs , September 24, 2008
NRA Misfires against Obama, Michael Dobbs , September 23, 2008
Obama's Fannie Mae 'Connection', Michael Dobbs , September 19, 2008
Did Obama author the stimulus package?, Michael Dobbs , September 18, 2008
Palin for Energy Czar!, Michael Dobbs , September 16, 2008
Weekend edition, Michael Dobbs , September 12, 2008
Spreading dirt on Palin--and Obama, Michael Dobbs , September 12, 2008
Sarah Palin's 'Worst Nightmare'?, Michael Dobbs , September 11, 2008
Sarah Palin and the Bridge to Nowhere, Michael Dobbs , September 9, 2008
McCain on equal pay, Michael Dobbs , July 11, 2008
Obama Reneges on Public Financing, Michael Dobbs , June 20, 2008
The great flag pin debate, Michael Dobbs , June 17, 2008
Was Obama ever a Muslim?, Michael Dobbs , June 13, 2008
McCain forgets his own votes, Michael Dobbs , June 5, 2008
'The People Have Spoken', Michael Dobbs , June 2, 2008
A Geppetto for Bill Clinton, Michael Dobbs , May 7, 2008
Citizen McCain, Michael Dobbs , May 2, 2008
Guilt by Association, Michael Dobbs , May 1, 2008
Is Clinton winning the 'popular vote'?, Michael Dobbs , April 24, 2008
Obama's Rezko Connection, Michael Dobbs , April 16, 2008
Cindy's Recipegate, Michael Dobbs , April 15, 2008
Bill Shoots from the Hip, Michael Dobbs , April 11, 2008
The Pot and the Kettle, Michael Dobbs , April 11, 2008
Name, Rank, and Service Number, Michael Dobbs , April 3, 2008
Professor Obama?, Michael Dobbs , April 1, 2008
Obama's 'Camelot connection', Michael Dobbs , March 31, 2008
Don't Forget Pat Nixon!, Michael Dobbs , March 27, 2008
Clinton Corrects the Record, Michael Dobbs , March 26, 2008
More Incoming Fire For Clinton, Michael Dobbs , March 24, 2008
Hillary's Balkan Adventures, Part II, Michael Dobbs , March 21, 2008
What did he hear--and when did he hear it?, Michael Dobbs , March 19, 2008
Hillary's Balkan Adventures, Michael Dobbs , March 17, 2008
Taxing questions for Clinton, Michael Dobbs , March 7, 2008
'NAFTA-gate', Part II, Michael Dobbs , March 4, 2008
Pinocchios for John McCain, Michael Dobbs , February 29, 2008
Readers Fact Check Dem Debate, Michael Dobbs , February 28, 2008
Democratic Debate Feb. 26, 2008, Michael Dobbs , February 26, 2008
Obama vs Clinton, Michael Dobbs , February 21, 2008
Bombs Away!, Michael Dobbs , February 21, 2008
The Obama 'pledge', Michael Dobbs , February 20, 2008
Obama's 'Weatherman' Connection, Michael Dobbs , February 19, 2008
Obama's 'backroom deal'?, Michael Dobbs , February 14, 2008
Measuring the "Obama effect", Michael Dobbs , February 13, 2008
John McClinton?, Michael Dobbs , February 7, 2008
Obama's voting record on abortion, Michael Dobbs , February 6, 2008
Who is the Champion Flip-flopper?, Michael Dobbs , February 5, 2008
Democratic Debate, Jan. 31, 2008, Michael Dobbs , January 31, 2008
Partial Quote Alert!, Michael Dobbs , January 29, 2008
The GOP debate in Florida, Michael Dobbs , January 25, 2008
Obama and Health Care, Michael Dobbs , January 24, 2008
Clinton vs Obama on CNN, Michael Dobbs , January 23, 2008
Bill the Attack Dog, Michael Dobbs , January 22, 2008
Barack Obama's 'neighborhood', Michael Dobbs , January 18, 2008
Record job growth under Huckabee?, Michael Dobbs , January 17, 2008
Mitt's Memory Lapse, Michael Dobbs , January 14, 2008
GOP Debate Myrtle beach, Michael Dobbs , January 10, 2008
Clinton and Northern Ireland, Michael Dobbs , January 10, 2008
Lobbyists for Mitt, Michael Dobbs , January 9, 2008
Poetry versus Prose, Michael Dobbs , January 8, 2008
Edwards and 'special interests', Michael Dobbs , January 3, 2008
Huckabee's record on taxes, Michael Dobbs , January 2, 2008
Hillary and Martin Luther King Jr., Michael Dobbs , December 31, 2007
The 2007 Pinocchio Awards, Michael Dobbs , December 31, 2007
Obama vs Clinton on Foreign Policy, Michael Dobbs , December 27, 2007
The Fibs of 2007, Michael Dobbs , December 24, 2007
Four Pinocchios for Romney on MLK, Michael Dobbs , December 23, 2007
Marching with King, Michael Dobbs , December 22, 2007
Hillary Bakes Some Stats, Michael Dobbs , December 21, 2007
Romney's 'Flip, Flop, Flip', Michael Dobbs , December 20, 2007
True But False, Michael Dobbs , December 19, 2007
Most Revealing Fibs: Rudy Giuliani, Michael Dobbs , December 16, 2007
Most Revealing Fibs: Mike Huckabee, Michael Dobbs , December 15, 2007
Most Revealing Fibs: Barack Obama, Michael Dobbs , December 14, 2007
Most Revealing Fibs: John McCain, Michael Dobbs , December 13, 2007
Most Revealing Fibs: Fred Thompson, Michael Dobbs , December 12, 2007
Most Revealing Fibs: John Edwards, Michael Dobbs , December 11, 2007
Most Revealing Fibs: Mitt Romney, Michael Dobbs , December 10, 2007
Most Revealing Fibs: Hillary Clinton, Michael Dobbs , December 9, 2007
No Sanctuary from Mitt and Rudy, Michael Dobbs , November 30, 2007
Rudy the Crime Buster, Michael Dobbs , November 29, 2007
Pinocchios for Mitt and Rudy, Michael Dobbs , November 27, 2007
Grace and Candor Under Pressure, Michael Dobbs , November 26, 2007
Who is More 'Pro-Life': Fred or Mike?, Michael Dobbs , November 20, 2007
Mitt Warns Illegals: 'Get Off My Lawn', Michael Dobbs , November 15, 2007
Richardson: 'I Am the Greenest of Them All', Michael Dobbs , November 9, 2007
Ron Paul Faces $1.1 Trillion Budget Shortfall, Michael Dobbs , November 8, 2007
Four Pinocchios for Recidivist Rudy, Michael Dobbs , November 7, 2007
Aliens Support Clinton, Richardson, Michael Dobbs , November 6, 2007
Biden Talks Tough to Brezhnev?, Michael Dobbs , November 5, 2007
Obama Nabbed by the Patriot Police, Michael Dobbs , November 2, 2007
Is Hillary Responsible for the 'Library Lockdown'?, Michael Dobbs , November 1, 2007
One Up, One Down for John McCain, Michael Dobbs , October 31, 2007
Fact Checking the Fact Checker, Michael Dobbs , October 29, 2007
Barbers for Dodd, Gorbie Endorses Rudy, Michael Dobbs , October 26, 2007
Rudy: 'I Am NOT Hillary', Michael Dobbs , October 23, 2007
Obama, Edwards, and the Lobbying Industry, Michael Dobbs , October 22, 2007
The Mitt and Rudy Show, Part II, Michael Dobbs , October 15, 2007
Rudy's 'Spontaneous' Cell Phone 'Stunt', Michael Dobbs , October 8, 2007
Giuliani's "Twists and Turns" on Guns, Michael Dobbs , October 5, 2007
Is Edwards "the Most Electable"?, washingtonpost.com Editors , September 24, 2007
 
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