President Obama Is Caught in Another Health Care Horror Story

Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:

Story Snafus

President Obama used not one, but two faulty anecdotes during his health care speech to Congress earlier this month.

Obama told a story about a Texas woman who lost her insurance just before breast cancer surgery, "because she forgot to declare a case of acne." But the truth is Robin Beaton lost her coverage because she failed to report a heart condition and did not list her weight accurately.

Republican Congressman Joe Barton fought the insurance company until it restored coverage, allowing Beaton to get the surgery she needed. The Associated Press writes: "Beaton's case is just one cited by Obama that mixes fact with fiction."

We reported here on The Grapevine before, the president also told a story about an Illinois man who died because his coverage was also canceled. But in congressional testimony, the man's sister said his insurance was reinstated and that treatment actually extended his life for four years.

Pornography Problem

Employee misconduct at the National Science Foundation has swamped the agency's inspector general. The Washington Times reports investigations were up six fold last year and that 70 percent involved workers surfing pornographic Web sites.

The issue was so pervasive that the IG told Congress: "To manage this dramatic increase without an increase in staff required us to significantly reduce our efforts to investigate grant fraud."

In one case, a senior executive spent at least 331 days looking at pornography on his government computer and chatting online with nude or partially-clad women. That cost taxpayers as much as $58,000. An agency spokeswoman says the offenders have been disciplined.

Caught on Tape?

A man believed to be Kentucky Democratic Senate candidate Daniel Mongiardo can be heard on an online audio recording lambasting one of his biggest political patrons.

Mongiardo, who is also Kentucky's lieutenant governor, says: "The only difference between former Republican Governor Ernie Fletcher and Democratic Governor Steve Beshear is Beshear has not had a blowup yet. But it is coming."

Beshear endorsed Mongiardo shortly after he announced his candidacy. The man purported to be Mongiardo is also heard on the tape saying he is: "Close to saying (expletive) it all. I do not need this job. I do not need the U.S. Senate."

His spokesman does not dispute the voice if that of his boss, but says the tape has been edited.

Governor Beshear's Deputy Communications Director Jill Midkiff tells FOX News: "The governor continues to support Daniel Mongiardo's candidacy. There will be no comment on an anonymous recording on a blog."

— FOX News Channel's Zachary Kenworthy contributed to this report.