Fact-checking the 2012 election

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(CBSNews) As the campaign season heats up, candidates of both parties have leveled a number of seemingly fact-based claims - some of which have held up under scrutiny better than others. Below, CBSNews.com rounds up some of its factual assessments from throughout the 2012 political season.

Fact-checking Obama, Biden convention speeches

Upon accepting the Democratic nominations for president and vice president, President Obama and Vice President Biden on Thursday night made several assertions about their own records and about Mitt Romney's.

Fact-checking 7 claims in Bill Clinton's convention speech

In his 49-minute speech at the Democratic National Convention, former President Bill Clinton cited several statistics and made a number of supposedly fact-based assertions. A look at which claims hold up under scrutiny and which don't.

Fact-checking 6 claims in Paul Ryan's convention speech

In his convention speech last week, vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan delivered a harsh rebuke of President Obama's tenure in the White House, and pledged that a Romney-Ryan presidency would do better for Americans. But critics immediately went after the VP candidate for what they cast as a series of misleading statements.

Fact check: Mitt Romney's convention speech

Mitt Romney's convention acceptance speech did not contain the sort of questionable assertions that had fact checkers working overtime following Paul Ryan's speech on Wednesday night. But that doesn't mean there weren't a number of comments that deserve a closer look.

Obama's 2008 promises: kept or broken?

Four years ago, when President Obama accepted the presidential nomination at the Democratic convention in Denver, he made several specific policy promises -- in addition to general promises of hope and change. Here's a look at the specific promises from that speech and whether or not he's followed through.

Clint Eastwood entertained but stretched the truth

As actor Clint Eastwood ad-libbed through his 10-minute speech at the Republican National Convention Thursday night, he -- intentionally or not -- took some liberties with the truth. Here's a look at some of the misleading or inaccurate statements Eastwood made as he pretended to berate President Obama on stage.

Fact-checking the Romney-Ryan "60 Minutes" interview

A day after Mitt Romney's Saturday announcement that he'd tapped Paul Ryan to be his running mate, the duo spoke with CBS News' Bob Schieffer on everything from tax reform to Medicare to bipartisanship. CBS News fact-checks the pair's claims, which aired in August on "60 Minutes."

Face the facts: A fact check on gas prices

On CBS News' "Face the Nation " in March, a top campaign adviser to President Obama, David Axelrod, and the head of the Republican National Committee, Reince Priebus, went back and forth over an issue that is looking to be critical this campaign season: gas prices. CBS News looked into some of the claims each made.

Political ads that stretch the truth

CBS News looks into a series of dubious claims in campaign ads. 

[noone1969]

*** PLANET DID THE PRESIDENT COME FROM OMG HE IS SUCH A FREAKIN LIAR!!!! MR.PRESIDENT GO AWAY

[marychgo]

Whether you look at six fact-checks or 20 fact-checks, it remains true that Democrats may exaggerate or shade the truth, but only the Republicans outright LIE!

[JWinATL]

You are either being really funny or very stupid.

[jackflashub60]

marychgo, what planet are you living on? Lunatica....!

[ceem34]

After reading the comments above and the comments from the writers about the 2 political parties, it's obvious all are government employees. What is FedSmith doing connected to CBS anyway? - a direct link to the Democrat Party.

[Mikexxxxxxx]

"W" bush did NOT make a 4-year mistake, he made a 40-year mistake! Bush sold the farm. The ENTIRE friggin' farm! How could any President fix what this A $ $ hole Bush screwed up in one term?

[Eco99]

Blah blah blah ... did you say something?

[CaptainSmollett]

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are FEWER employed Americans today than when Obama took office during the depths of the financial crisis, eventhough total U.S. population has increased. A very damning statistic for the Obama campaign.

[retmw1]

That should make you happy, republicans love high unemployment.