All Decoder
Vice presidential debate: Did Paul Ryan want $300 million embassy security cut?In the vice presidential debate Thursday, Joe Biden said a budget written by Rep. Paul Ryan sought a $300 million cut in embassy security. The facts are more nuanced.
Paul Ryan workout photos: Do they send the right message?A new Time Magazine photo shoot shows a ripped Rep. Paul Ryan pumping iron. But has the congressman been emphasizing his fitness too much?
Ann Romney on 'Good Morning America': How'd she handle burning cookies?Ann Romney was the focus of several 'GMA' segments, interviewed other guests, and cooked. There’s some evidence that she is a driving force behind the revival of her husband’s prospects.
Obama Big Bird ad: a mistake, or shrewd?The Obama campaign's new ad attacking Romney for promising to cut Big Bird's funding has been criticized by conservatives, the Sesame Workshop CEO, and even some Democrats.
Why watch the vice-presidential debate? Entertainment value.The vice-presidential debate Thursday might not change much in the polls, but it should provide more zingers than the first presidential debate did – and be a warm-up for Obama-Romney Round 2.
Polls: How big a bounce did Mitt Romney get from the debate?A poll from the Pew Research Center is the best news yet for Mitt Romney, putting him ahead of President Obama by four percentage points among likely voters. But polls can be conflicting.
Presidential debate 101: How much would US save by cutting off Big Bird?Eliminating federal spending for the whole Corporation for Public Broadcasting, not just Big Bird and 'Sesame Street,' would save about $445 million a year. It is less than a speck in overall government spending, but that's not MItt Romney's point.
Romney foreign policy: How different from Obama's?Under President Obama, the US has 'led from behind,' Mitt Romney said Monday. He vowed that as president he would use US power to shape world events, instead of simply reacting to them.
Jon Stewart debates Bill O'Reilly: Who won?Comedian Jon Stewart and TV host Bill O’Reilly delivered a pretty good clash of ideologies, spiced up with humor and leavened by the fact that the two men appear to be friends.
Presidential debate 101: Did Obama really double the deficit?During the arithmetical dodge ball that constituted much of the first debate, Mitt Romney said the US deficit 'doubled' under Obama. In fact, it has declined, though it is still more than $1 trillion.
Unemployment rate tampering? Why conspiracy theorists went wild.Retired GE CEO Jack Welch saw Friday's jobs report, with its 7.8 percent unemployment rate, as 'unbelievable.' Others on the right piled on, suggesting Obama administration tampering. But the jobs number in question has been known to vary widely month to month.
Post debate, some ask: What happened to the charismatic Obama of 2008?In the wake of Wednesday's listless debate performance, Democrats and Republicans alike have been speculating about why Barack Obama may seem different from four years ago.
Mitt Romney repudiates '47 percent' remarks. Why now?This is the clearest mea culpa Mitt Romney has made since video surfaced of him telling donors at a fundraiser that 47 percent of Americans believe they're 'victims' entitled to government aid.
Presidential debate 101: Does Romney have a $5 trillion tax cut, or not?Obama insisted during the first presidential debate that Romney would cut taxes by $5 trillion over 10 years. Here's where that figure comes from – and why Romney rejects it.
The return of Mitt the ModerateIn Wednesday's presidential debate, Mitt Romney finally tacked back to the center – something observers had been expecting him to do ever since he wrapped up the nomination. But is it too late?
Is Joe Biden the GOP's new secret weapon?The Romney camp has pounced on a gaffe Tuesday by Joe Biden and quickly used it in an ad, titled 'Couldn't Say It Better,' but it may struggle to sell Romney as a defender of the middle class.
Presidential debate: what you need to know about Jim Lehrer's rulesThe presidential debate Wednesday will be a little different from past debates, with moderator Jim Lehrer trying to create discussion and not just sound bytes.
Video of 2007 Obama speech: Will it affect 2012 election?Conservatives charge that Obama used racially divisive language while addressing black clergy in 2007, and point to newly released video clips as proof. Democrats denounce the video as a ploy to counter Mitt Romney's '47 percent' remarks.
Mitt Romney's debate 'zingers': Will he be able to deliver?The press corps is eagerly anticipating Mitt Romney's promised zingers at Wednesday night's debate. Comedians have also been having some fun imagining what the candidate might say.
Joe Biden says middle class 'has been buried' past 4 years. Oops.While lambasting the Romney tax plan, Vice President Joe Biden decried raising taxes on an American middle class that 'has been buried' during the Obama years. Will his gaffe matter?
