Door County Election News: Checking for “Truthiness”

One can’t help but question the claims aired in Presidential Campaign ads today, but the news departments of the television networks that broadcast them scarcely bother to provide fact-checking on them. Fortunately, there are a couple reliable Web sites that have taken on the challenge of vetting for the truth.

(Which gets us thinking – why isn’t there a bi-partisan review board to vet campaign ads before they’re released? How hard could this be? Appoint seven people to serve during the final six months of the campaign, and every ad produced by the campaigns or an outside group must be reviewed for accuracy before going on the air. The committee could levee stiff fines for every ad submitted that’s blatantly false, discouraging groups from producing trash. Can a nation of our wealth and technology really not take steps to be sure that at least the ads related to our most important duty as citizens in a democracy at least resemble the truth?)

• Factcheck.org

Factcheck takes a look at the campaign ads of both Barack Obama and John McCain (and groups supporting them), checking for accuracy and context. Unfortunately, checking the accuracy of the campaign’s commercials can get a little depressing, as few are entirely honest, and many are blatantly false.

• Politifact.com

This site cuts a bit more to the chase. Sponsored by The St. Petersburg Times and Congressional Quarterly, it rates claims by the campaigns, individuals, and even the blogosphere as true, mostly true, half true, barely true, false or for those claims that are most egregious, “pants on fire.”

A new feature on the Web site rates the candidates on their changing stances on the issues as well. The Flip-O-Meter calls out the candidates, rating their latest positions as either no flip, half flip, or full flop.

A few other resources for campaign information and fact-checking without all the network news noise.

• CQpolitics.com

Congressional Quarterly is considered one of the most respected sources of Washington news available today, with in-depth analysis of policy and programs. But for those not into heavy reading, their Web site features a fine array of colorful, easy-to-decipher maps that help tell the story of the current race and put it in historical context.

• Wise.org

The home of Wisconsin Eye, dedicated to informing Wisconsin residents about the goings-on in Madison. The site’s calling card is its video of Wisconsin Assembly deliberations, but it also posts videos of Supreme Court activity, party conventions, conferences, and campaign appearances. It’s tough to find good information on state and local politics, but this site is as comprehensive as it gets.

• Wispolitics.com

Find the latest and most comprehensive updates on Wisconsin races here.