On the October 29 edition of Fox News' Hannity & Colmes, co-host Sean Hannity falsely asserted that Sen. Barack Obama promises “to nationalize our health care,” and said his is a “false promise.” In fact, Obama has not proposed, much less promised, to nationalize health care. As Media Matters for America has noted, Obama's plan would allow individuals to keep their private health insurance if they so choose, while establishing “a new public plan based on benefits available to members of Congress that will allow individuals and small businesses to buy affordable health coverage.” During the Democratic primary, Hannity made a similar false claim about Sen. Hillary Clinton's health care plan, as Media Matters noted.

During the broadcast, Hannity also asserted that Obama's plan will “give welfare payments for 40 percent of the population that doesn't pay taxes.” In fact, as Media Matters has noted, Obama proposes to "[c]ut taxes for 95 percent of workers [emphasis added] and their families with a tax cut of $500 for workers or $1,000 for working couples." All American workers are required to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA).

From the October 29 edition of Fox News' Hannity & Colmes:

HANNITY: Let me say one thing as we close out the segment here. You know what, if you don't -- if you're not honest with the American people -- I, for example, I don't think -- it's impossible for him [Obama] to follow through on spending a trillion new dollars as he's promised, and give welfare payments to 40 percent of the population that doesn't pay taxes, and to nationalize our health care. It's -- these are false promises --

MICHAEL STEELE (chairman, GOPAC): Yeah.

HANNITY: -- he can never fulfill. And that's what -- that's what is at stake here and what's been missing in the discussion.