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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

The Whoppers of 2004

Bush and Kerry repeat discredited claims in their final flurry of ads. Here’s our pre-election summary of the misinformation we found during the Bush-Kerry presidential campaign.

NRA Ad Falsely Accuses Kerry

It says he’s sponsoring a proposal to ban “every pump shotgun” and voted “to ban deer-hunting ammunition.” Don’t believe either claim.

Kerry and Bush Mislead Voters With Promises of Energy Independence

Summary
Both John Kerry and President Bush have promised voters that they will make America “energy independent.” But experts say both sides fall far short of what is necessary for energy independence in the next few decades.
Kerry focuses on conservation efforts, but most agree his plan is little more than an outline. Bush supports expanded drilling in Alaska to increase domestic oil supply, but the US has only about 3 percent of the world’s oil reserves.

Would Kerry Throw Us To The Wolves?

A misleading Bush ad criticizes Kerry for proposing to cut intelligence spending — a decade ago, by 4%, when some Republicans also proposed cuts.

How Liberal is John Kerry?

A new RNC ad claims Kerry is “the most liberal man in the Senate.” Actually, his lifetime rating is 11th or lower, depending.

Kerry Falsely Claims Bush Plans To Cut Social Security Benefits

A Kerry ad claims “Bush has a plan to cut Social Security benefits by 30 to 45 percent.” That’s false. Bush has proposed no such plan, and the proposal Kerry refers to would only slow down the growth of benefits, and only for future retirees.

Pro-Bush Puffery on Economy, Medicare

New ad claims Bush inherited an economy “already in recession” and that 41 million seniors “now have access to lower cost prescriptions.” Wrong on both counts.