Voters wondering about the accuracy of statements made by presidential candidates now have at least three places online where they can go for help deciphering the truth.

Republican Fred Thompson, caught stretching the truth about American war dead, won four Pinocchios from washingtonpost.com, which debuted its fact-checker Wednesday at www.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker. (T he maximum Pinocchios on the scale is four while completely truthful statements receive the Washington Post’s “prized Geppetto checkmark”.)
 
 
The Post’s effort joins www.politifact.com, a project of the St. Petersburg Times and Congressional Quarterly, and www.factcheck.org, run by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. 
  
 
Politifact’s Truth-O-Meter gave Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton mostly good grades for statements made in unveiling her health plan, but said her financial projections were “optimistic” and gave them a “half true.” 

Factcheck.org skewered Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson for claiming U.S. elementary and secondary students were once No. 1 in the world in math and science but are now 29th. “None of that is true,” factcheck.org said.