Election '08 - Obama in Afghanistan: Fact Checking

August 1, 2008
Letter to community newspaper

[Community members] might be interested to know that a recent email about Afghanistan that's been making the rounds has been disproved by the Department of Defense; and the captain who wrote it told the NY Daily News: "After checking my sources, information that was put out in my email was wrong. This email was meant only for my family. Please respect my wishes and delete the email and if there are any blogs you have my email portrayed on I would ask if you would take it down too. Thanks for your understanding."

Now that we're deep into the season of political spin, fact, and error, I am thankful for careful fact-checkers who dig into ads and email from all parties -- like (1) FactCheck.org from the U. of Pennsylvania; (2) PolitiFact from the Congressional Quarterly and The St. Petersburg Times; and (3) The Fact Checker of the Washington Post.

Truth is indispensable for democracy. As Thomas Jefferson wrote: "Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government."  I am thankful that our community rejects rumor and insinuation and insists on being factually well-informed.

For [community members] without internet access or time, I wonder whether questions about ads and mailings could be submitted to the ...Times, with a request that the ...T reprint fact-check summaries? What other ideas would help?

With concern,