CNN's Truth Squad fact-checked some of the claims made by President Barack Obama in the State of the Union address and Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels in the Republican rebuttal. We'll take a look at some of the claims and share if they were accurate.
Did public dollars unearth new energy resources?
President Barack Obama made a pitch for continued federal support of energy research.
The statement: "The development of natural gas will create jobs and power trucks and factories that are cleaner and cheaper, proving that we don't have to choose between our environment and our economy. And by the way, it was public research dollars, over the course of 30 years, that helped develop the technologies to extract all this natural gas out of shale rock - reminding us that government support is critical in helping businesses get new energy ideas off the ground."
The verdict: True, but incomplete
Obama touts job creation record
President Barack Obama discussed job numbers before and after he took office during Tuesday night's State of the Union address.
The statement: "In the six months before I took office, we lost nearly 4 million jobs. And we lost another 4 million before our policies were in full effect. Those are the facts. But so are these. In the last 22 months, businesses have created more than 3 million jobs. Last year, they created the most jobs since 2005."
The verdict: True
GOP shines light on unemployment
Republicans focused on the Obama administration's job record during their rebuttal to Tuesday night's State of the Union address.
The statement: "The percentage of Americans with a job is at the lowest in decades," said Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, in the Republican rebuttal to President Barack Obama's State of the Union address.
The verdict: True
Steve Jobs' jobs vs. Obama's jobs
In a rebuttal to the State of the Union address, Republicans gave the late Steve Jobs credit for creating more jobs than the stimulus bill Tuesday.
The statement: "Contrary to the president's constant disparagement of people in business, it's one of the noblest of human pursuits. The late Steve Jobs - what a fitting name he had - created more of them than all those stimulus dollars the president borrowed and blew." –Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, in the Republican rebuttal to President Barack Obama's State of the Union address.
The verdict: False
© 2011 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Contact us | Work for us | Help
I read the speech. It wasn't too bad, but there were things he did not address that the people needed to hear.
Maybe he'll get around to that stuff in the fall. The GOP response was pathetic as usual.
Still, with the number of things that the country is experiencing now he certainly couldn't get to all of them. Have patience. The Republican response was very pathetic.
We need someone to lead this country, not just another confidence man.
Exactly, do dump all that Republican trash and stick with the guy who has a clue.
Obama 2012!
Thanks Newt for FOUR MORE YEARS!
Lol, my favorite portion of the Fox News report was them cursing Newt for pulling ahead in FL
The Republican response was the same old nonsense - just continue to reduce taxes on the wealthy and everything will be fine. Talk about confidence men!
You clearly did not listen to the response, as that is not even remotely close to what he said.
To be fair to Mitch Daniels, Obama had time to plan out his speech and get his facts straight, while the Republicans had to put together something on the spur of the moment. Still, pretty lame response.
Damo, the Republicans get an advanced copy of the speech to respond to (that's standard practice for the SOUS. Granted they don't have weeks....but if you listened to the response it really wouldn't matter how much time they had. They simply repeat the same old mantra that they have been spouting for 30+ years and actually responded to nothing in the speech.
Obama had time to make up his own facts.....if he says it, the truth squad will find some way to agree
Getting a legitimate political fact check concerning democrats from CNN is about as likely as expecting no loss when one has a fox guard the hen house.
Then I'm sure you could do better. Go ahead....tell us some facts.
CNN is a liberal network, have you heard much of the Solyndra scandal $500 million tax payer money down the drain?
You are all such one trick ponies. The facts are very clear, yes the Solyndra Company failed, but do you understand economics? 500m dollars lost is not a massive problem when you consider that the President, and yes he is YOUR president, has created a swing in job loss with his policies and he is repairing this economy. One failure amongst many improvements to me is a big win. Obama is doing this despite INSANE opposition by an indignant and obtuse Republican party that is so clearly operating on a "good ol' boy" network it baffles me that it has supporters at all. Keep up your weak opposition and we'll be skipping back to the White House in 2012.
I'll be in the gym a little after 5:30 AM.
Then I have to send money to an unemployed friend so he can eat.
The Republican response did not have to be thrown together at the last moment, as one writer said that it did. What Gov. Daniels said about the percentage of Americans without a job being the lowest in decades was known before Obama spoke. That represents the state of our nation's economy very well.
i watched closely as president obama greeted people as he entered the room. if you focus on his facial expressions and his body language it seems clear as he shook hands and hugged his way through the room.hugging some men as well as women,he is warm and open.can you imagine for one minute either newt gingrich or mitt romney strolling through a room on national t v on an evening of such importance and genuinely looking people directly in the eye and hugging other men.he is truly an amazing person we are so lucky to have him to serve us
Well, I'm sold. All future election decisions will be made based on how well I think a person can work a room.
Total percentage of Americans over 16 years of age working is at the lowest point since April 1984. THIRTY NINE MONTHS into the REAGAN PRESIDENCY. Of course at the time the U.S. was recovering from the 5th worst recession since the Great Depression. Right now Obama is in the THIRTY SIXTH MONTH of HIS PRESIDENCY which started at the height of the BIGGEST RECESSION SINCE THE GREAT DEPRESSION.
I said earlier that Obama only had "to get through" this speech. Well, he got through it, and he looked good in the presence of Rep. Giffords.
Now the President can turn his attention to campaigning and what he does best. He doesn't have to pay too much attention to the way things are when he speaks: he can talk more about "The Way We Were" under Bush.
If Obama has to debate Gingrich, I'll be watching carefully.
oh and about jobs,i remember during the bush term the phrase jobless recovery.i believe during bushs 8 years he created 3 million jobs.the jobs problem has been with us for several years it is a structural event that will take effort from everyone together to solve.
President Barack Obama...Greatest President in US hIstory! Four more years baby!
did anybody think obama was being booed at some points?
Joseph, I thought that at first and then I thought some might be shouting "no" but the more Ilistened the less I thought it was either of those. I would like to know just what it was though.
We tried that idea of having Barney in charge but the country as a whole found that 8 years of republican control was 8 years to many after Bush and Cheney got done ruining it.
No, but I felt the the domestic terrorist regime the Tea Party should've been booed for shooting Congresswoman Gabriella Giffords, leaving her crippled for life!
They were booing him and maybe it was no, it seemed disrespectful. George W. Bush came and threw out a pitch at a cardinal opener when he was president. We were standing outside the stadum filing in slowly, when we heard booing, it was at George W. That night on the news they had changed it to clapping. I mean everyone booed him, no claps for him.
It was a lone gunman who shot Giffords, and he was deranged. Although Palin did put the bulleye on her map area. I think she is more responsible than the Tea Party. I think the people who voted tea party put us in a bind of gridlock though.
Don't blame a group for the mistake of another. This kind of politics make me sick, do you really believe people are that small and would like to see someone who disagrees with them killed/hurt? If so you are delusional. You may not like the Tea Party but this is trash talk. Its wingnuts such as you that are destroying America.