Fact-checking the final debate

The final presidential debate was rife with accusations and counteraccusations, claims and counterclaims, many not entirely grounded in fact. A look at some of the issues raised by the candidates:

SPENDING

Obama: "Every dollar that I've proposed, I've proposed an additional cut, so that it matches."

The facts: The bipartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates his programs would add $281 billion to the deficit at the end of his first term. The analysis includes Obama's proposals for saving money.

McCain: "We have to stop sending $700 billion a year to countries that don't like us."

The facts: This is a reference to U.S. spending on oil imports. The figure is highly inflated and misleading. According to government agencies that track energy imports, the United States spent $246 billion in 2007 for all imported crude oil, most from friendly nations, such as Canada and Mexico. An additional $82 billion was spent on imported refined petroleum products such as gasoline, diesel and fuel oil, most from friendly countries such as the Netherlands, Canada, the United Kingdom, Trinidad-Tobago and the Virgin Islands.

CAMPAIGN ADS

Obama: "One hundred percent, John, of your ads — 100 percent of them — have been negative."

The facts: The statement is true when it comes to McCain's current commercial spots. But by saying McCain's ads "have been" 100 percent negative, Obama ventures into misleading territory. McCain now is running all negative ads, according to a study by the University of Wisconsin, Madison. But he has run several positive ads during the campaign.

McCain: "Sen. Obama is spending unprecedented amounts of money in negative attack ads on me."

The facts: Obama is spending unprecedented amounts of money on ads, period — negative or otherwise. Obama is outspending McCain and the Republican Party by more than a 2-to-1 ratio in presidential campaign ads. At one point in August, 90 percent of Obama's ads were against McCain. A study conducted at the University of Wisconsin, Madison found 34 percent of Obama's ads are now negative.

TAXES

Obama: "I want to provide a tax cut for 95 percent of working Americans, 95 percent."

The facts: The independent Tax Policy Center says Obama's assertion is essentially correct.

McCain: "Sen. Obama talks about voting for budgets. He voted twice for a budget resolution that increases the taxes on individuals making $42,000 a year."

The facts: The vote was on a nonbinding resolution and did not increase taxes. The resolution assumed President Bush's tax cuts would expire, as scheduled, in 2011. If that actually happened, it could mean higher taxes for people making as little as about $42,000.

HEALTH CARE

Obama: McCain's plan could cause the "unraveling" of private health-care coverage.

The facts: There are about 47 million Americans with no health-care insurance. McCain's plan would expand health-care coverage by 21.1 million people by 2010, at a cost of $2.1 trillion over 10 years, according to a study by the Lewin Group, an independent health-care consulting firm. Obama's plan would expand coverage by an estimated 26.6 million people by 2010 at a cost of $1.2 trillion over the same period. Obama's plan would cover about 66 percent of children who now are uninsured; McCain's plan would cover roughly 35 percent.

McCain: Warned small-business owners that they would be fined under Obama's health-care plan if they did not provide health insurance for workers.

The facts: Obama's health-care plan does not impose mandates or fines on small businesses. He would provide small businesses with a refundable tax credit of up to 50 percent on health premiums paid on behalf of their employees. Large as well as medium-sized businesses that do not offer meaningful coverage or contribute to the cost of coverage would be required to pay a percentage of payroll toward the costs of a public insurance plan. But small businesses would be exempt from that requirement.

Associates

McCain: Said Obama has not disclosed the full extent of his association with former radical-turned-educator Bill Ayers. McCain said Obama had "launched his political career" in Ayers' living room.

The facts: A recent McCain TV ad says Obama "lied" about his association with Ayers, who founded the radical Weathermen movement that was responsible for bombings at the U.S. Capitol and the Pentagon in the early 1970s. Numerous media investigations into their relationship have concluded that Obama and Ayers were never close. After announcing he planned to run for the Illinois Senate in 1995, Obama did attend a coffee gathering at Ayers' home. But it was one of several coffees held by many supporters at which Obama officially launched his campaign that year. When Obama sought re-election to his state Senate seat in 2001, Ayers contributed $200. As he has in the past, Obama on Wednesday night condemned the terrorist acts perpetrated by Weathermen members.