PolitiFact: The roundup

To fact-check a claim, reporters first contact the speaker to verify the statement. Next, the research begins. Reporters consult a variety of sources, including industry and academic experts. This research can take hours or a few days or even longer, depending on the claim. Reporters then compile the research into story form and include a recommended Truth-O-Meter ruling.

The fact check then moves on to a panel of veteran editors who debate the statement and the reporter’s recommended Truth-O-Meter ruling. The panel votes on a final ruling; majority prevails.

A political food fight erupted on the AJC Truth-O-Meter last week.

We examined a chain email, claiming Burger King was planning to pull its franchises from military bases. The primary defeat of Senate Majority Leader Eric Cantor had us checking whether Cantor’s campaign spent more at steakhouses than opponent David Brat spent on his entire campaign.

With Gov. Nathan Deal running for re-election, PolitiFact Georgia revisited a campaign promise he made in 2010.

We also did some digging into a claim by the Republican Governors Association that Jason Carter, Deal’s Democratic opponent, supports using Georgia tax dollars to promote the president’s health care initiative, commonly known as Obamacare.

To comment on our rulings or suggest one of your own, please just go to our Facebook page (

). You can also follow us on Twitter (

).

“The Burger King national headquarters announced this month that they will be pulling their franchises from our military bases.”

Chain email

The concerns raised in the email had been publicized by Republican lawmakers this spring. They stem from two actions taken by the Obama administration that could affect how fast-food workers are compensated on some military bases.

The first change is a 2013 determination by the Labor Department —- subsequently put on hold —- that fast-food workers under federal contracts were due a $3.81-an-hour bump in compensation.

The second is a February executive order by President Barack Obama that mandated a $10.10 minimum wage for workers on federal contracts. Obama issued the order —- which doesn’t require congressional approval —- as a partial step after seeing his proposal for a $10.10 national minimum wage blocked in Congress.

The impact of such changes is speculative, and as far as the specific claim about Burger King, it’s pure fiction that the company announced a sweeping departure from military bases.

We rated the claim as False.

“Teachers who agree to dedicate their time in one of our state’s most underperforming schools would further be rewarded by accruing service credit (for retirement) at twice the rate, earning two years of credit for each calendar year served.”

Candidate Nathan Deal, now governor.

This is one of a series of campaign promises that Nathan Deal made in 2010, when he ran for governor the first time. Jennifer Talaber, spokeswoman for his re-election campaign, said this campaign promise is “still a goal.” It was clear from talking with education advocates that nothing had been done toward this goal. Talaber said other things had to happen first, including creation of a new teacher evaluation system.

Earning two-for-one years of credit for working in a poor performing school could be an appealing perk. It’s hard to know at this point. We don’t know who would qualify or what this could cost.

We rated Deal’s promise as Stalled.

Says Jason Carter supports using Georgia tax dollars to promote Obamacare.

Republican Governors Association.

The Republican Governors Association has a TV ad that accuses Jason Carter, the Democratic nominee for Georgia governor, of favoring state tax dollars to promote Obamacare, a charge Carter denies.

The governor’s association bases it on his opposition to House Bill 943, which even some GOP leaders say was meant to be a “message” bill about Obamacare more than anything else.

It’s a stretch to say that means Carter wants to spend state taxpayer money on the law.

There’s no evidence he’s supported any specific tax increase. Carter doesn’t help himself. He’s fuzzy on where he stands on the law.

We rated the GOP claim as Mostly False.

“Cantor’s campaign spent more at steakhouses than Brat spent on his entire campaign.”

Chuck Todd on MSNBC.

Talk about a claim made for headlines and Twitter. “Eric Cantor: Burned at the steakhouse,” said Rolling Stone magazine. “High steaks politics” and “Where’s the beef” popped up in the twittersphere.

There’s no disputing the accuracy of the comparison, which first showed up in the New York Times. According to campaign finance data collected by the Center for Responsive Politics, Cantor spent $168,000 on fundraising events at three Virginia restaurants — Bobby Van’s Grill, Bobby Van’s Steakhouse, and Blt Steak.

David Brat spent a little less than $123,000 across the board for his campaign, according to the most recent campaign finance reports, which cover spending up until May 21, 2014.

Overall, Cantor outspent Brat more than 40 to 1, according to available records, and still lost by 10 percentage points.

“I can’t think of any (case) in which the incumbent’s spending advantage was so huge and he still lost,” said Gary Jacobson, a political scientist at the University of California San Diego.

We rated the claim by Chuck Todd as True.