W. Gardner Selby, Austin American-Statesman

W. Gardner Selby

Austin American-Statesman

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Recent:
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Past:
  • Austin American-Statesman
  • PolitiFact

Past articles by W.:

Fact check: O'Rourke correctly sums up Cruz's low bipartisan score

Beto O’Rourke, the Democratic U.S. House member challenging Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, charged Cruz with a high degree of partisanship by infrequently teaming with Democrats.In the pair’s second debate, O’Rourke pointed out that Cruz missed many votes while running for president after winning his Senate seat in 2012. O’Rourke said next: "There’s only one other senator from either party… → Read More

PolitiFact: What Ted Cruz, Beto O’Rourke got right and wrong in debate

Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and his Democratic challenger, U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke of El Paso, lofted many factual claims at Southern → Read More

PAC backing Ted Cruz falsely says Beto O'Rourke voted against body armor for border sheriffs

A super PAC backing the re-election of Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas portrays Democratic nominee Beto O’Rourke, who represents El Paso in the U.S. House, as careless about border security. A TV ad from the Texans Are PAC that we spotted on Austin’s Fox 7 Sept. 12, 2018, associates O’Rourke, who opposes the border-long wall sought by Republicans led by President Donald Trump, with… → Read More

Ken Paxton draws on debunked figures, says 'illegals' committed 600,000 crimes in Texas since 2011

Republican Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general seeking a second term against Democrat Justin Nelson, invoked previously debunked numbers when he was asked about Democrats seeking to decriminalize border crossings. Paxton, in an Aug. 26, 2018, appearance on → Read More

Ken Paxton draws on debunked figures, says 'illegals' committed 600,000 crimes in Texas since 2011

Republican Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general seeking a second term against Democrat Justin Nelson, invoked previously debunked numbers when he was asked about Democrats seeking to decriminalize border crossings. Paxton, in an Aug. 26, 2018, appearance on → Read More

Greg Abbott says Texas enjoying record high-school graduation rate

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who seeks re-election in November against Democratic nominee Lupe Valdez, says in a new ad that he’s kept his big campaign promises as evidenced, he suggests, by the state’s economy and schools. We’ve tracked progress on numerous Abbott campaign promises from 2014 on our Abbott-O-Meter. Abbott’s → Read More

PolitiFact: Ted Cruz says Beto O’Rourke saluted flag burning. Did he?

Ted Cruz says Beto O'Rourke saluted flag burners. See what O'Rourke said. → Read More

Ted Cruz says Beto O'Rourke voted against tax relief for Hurricane Harvey victims

Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz says in an online video ad that he voted for tax relief for victims of Hurricane Harvey in 2017 as his Democratic challenger, Rep. Beto O’Rourke of El Paso, ridiculously voted → Read More

Has Congressman John Carter not held a town hall in five years?

Has a Central Texas congressman not hosted a "town hall" meeting for half a decade? Democrat M.J. Hegar of Round Rock says as much about the Republican she’s challenging to represent the state’s 31st Congressional District, eight-term Rep. John Carter of Round Rock. The district, north of Austin, sweeps in Williamson and Bell counties. Hegar, a decorated Air Force veteran, has promoted her… → Read More

How Geraldo Rivera touched off Dan Patrick's debate challenge

Republican Dan Patrick, the Texas lieutenant governor who’s poised to debate New York personality Geraldo Rivera, said he was piqued when Rivera inappropriately qualified his concern about an Iowa woman’s death allegedly at the hands of an illegal immigrant. We looked into exactly what Rivera said to provoke Patrick, whose debate challenge Rivera accepted in a tweet stating in part: → Read More

Beto O'Rourke says U.S. blacks have 10 times less wealth than whites

Beto O’Rourke, the Democratic nominee challenging Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, said that vast U.S. wealth differences show the economy doesn’t work for everyone. The El Paso congressman’s half-page ad, in the Houston Defender’s July 26, 2018, issue, shows O’Rourke shaking hands with an African-American man. Accompanying text says: → Read More

Beto O'Rourke arrested in 1990s for burglary and DWI

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Beto O’Rourke of Texas has said that in younger days he was twice arrested in his hometown of El Paso--once, he says, for leaping a campus fence and the other time for driving while intoxicated. Readers have asked us whether the third-term congressman challenging Republican Sen. Ted Cruz has a criminal history. We decided to fact-check mention of the arrests in a… → Read More

PolitiFact: Texas law requires credit for AP exams

In his first run for governor, Greg Abbott urged a change in law requiring Texas public colleges and universities to give course credit to students who → Read More

Ted Cruz ad hearkens to Beto O'Rourke's 2009 call for debate on legalizing narcotics

Ted Cruz says in a TV ad that just debuted that he sponsored legislation allowing drug testing of applicants for federal "jobless benefits." Then comes a throwback charge that has factual footing in Democratic Senate nominee Beto O’Rourke’s statements eight years ago as a member of the El Paso City Council. "But," the narrator of Cruz’s ad says, "Beto O’Rourke said we should consider legalizing… → Read More

Roger Williams says he's never voted "present" in U.S. House action--the 'chicken way'

U.S. Rep. Roger Williams, who represents the 25th Congressional District running north and west from Austin to just south of Tarrant County, declared that he always commits to a position on issues before the House--never voting → Read More

Is Beto O'Rourke the only Senate candidate to call for Donald Trump's impeachment?

There’s no sign of Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas favoring the impeachment of President Donald Trump. Now Cruz says his Democratic challenger, U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke of El Paso, stands alone nationally for tilting the other way. Cruz’s campaign said in a July 17, 2018, press release that O’Rourke → Read More

Greg Abbott says Houston is home to more brothels than Starbucks stores

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, seeking re-election, responded to a supporter’s question about campaign messaging by talking about sexual exploitation and a ubiquitous brand of coffee shops. → Read More

Kendall Scudder says Bob Hall hasn't passed a bill into law

A North Texas Democrat nominated for the Texas Senate told a Dallas crowd that the incumbent, Bob Hall of Edgewood, has an empty legislative record. Kendall Scudder of Sulphur Springs said at a July 2, 2018, event noted by the Dallas Morning News: → Read More

Tweeted photo inaccurately indicates boy 'caged' by federal government

A photo made us wonder if a small boy was placed in a cage with other youngsters as part of federal authorities cracking down on families trying to cross from Mexico into the U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced April 6, 2018 that Homeland Security would refer all illegal border crossings to the Justice Department for prosecution. Parents faced with criminal charges would hence go to… → Read More

Tweeted photo inaccurately indicates boy 'caged' by federal government

A photo made us wonder if a small boy was placed in a cage with other youngsters as part of federal authorities cracking down on families trying to cross from Mexico into the U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced April 6, 2018 that Homeland Security would refer all illegal border crossings to the Justice Department for prosecution. Parents faced with criminal charges would hence go to… → Read More