He hasn’t been seen in Congress for months. Now Republicans are worried. 87%
By Dan Merica0% Anna Liss-Roy0%
5/29/2026, 10:00:01 AM
BS Summary: This article contains 13 faulty reasoning types, including Framing Effect, Negativity Bias, and Unattributed Quote, with Biased Writer Voice as the most egregious example at 86.2% saturation with 56 hits. Analysis detected 393 faulty-reasoning hits from 65 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 80.4% and a BS Rank of 87% (2,258 of 16,813 articles). This article is worse (more manipulative) than 86.60% of the article peer group.
For almost three months, Rep.
Tom Kean Jr.’s whereabouts and condition have been a mystery in his New Jersey congressional district.
Now they are becoming a source of growing alarm for his party in Washington, where Republicans fear his prolonged absence could cost them his swing seat — and possibly their House majority.
Confirmation Bias
0%Confirmation Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
4.1%PublicationThe Washington Post
3.8%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Anchoring Bias
7.7%Anchoring Bias
OverallThis article
7.7%AuthorDan Merica
1.4%PublicationThe Washington Post
1.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Availability Heuristic
24.6%Availability Heuristic
OverallThis article
24.6%AuthorDan Merica
3.4%PublicationThe Washington Post
4.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Representativeness Heuristic
0%Representativeness Heuristic
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
0.9%PublicationThe Washington Post
1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Hindsight Bias
0%Hindsight Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Overconfidence Bias
0%Overconfidence Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
1.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Framing Effect
80%Framing Effect
OverallThis article
80%AuthorDan Merica
45.1%PublicationThe Washington Post
21.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Loss Aversion
49.2%Loss Aversion
OverallThis article
49.2%AuthorDan Merica
7.5%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.8%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Status Quo Bias
0%Status Quo Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.8%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Sunk Cost Effect
0%Sunk Cost Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Optimism Bias
0%Optimism Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
0.8%PublicationThe Washington Post
3.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Pessimism Bias
49.2%Pessimism Bias
OverallThis article
49.2%AuthorDan Merica
6.9%PublicationThe Washington Post
3.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Negativity Bias
67.7%Negativity Bias
OverallThis article
67.7%AuthorDan Merica
35.1%PublicationThe Washington Post
18.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Self-Serving Bias
0%Self-Serving Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
1.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Fundamental Attribution Error
0%Fundamental Attribution Error
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
2.7%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Actor-Observer Bias
0%Actor-Observer Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
In-Group Bias
49.2%In-Group Bias
OverallThis article
49.2%AuthorDan Merica
7.1%PublicationThe Washington Post
2.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Out-Group Homogeneity Bias
0%Out-Group Homogeneity Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
0.8%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.8%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Halo Effect
0%Halo Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
2.8%PublicationThe Washington Post
2.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Horn Effect
0%Horn Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Dunning-Kruger Effect
0%Dunning-Kruger Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Recency Bias
12.3%Recency Bias
OverallThis article
12.3%AuthorDan Merica
1%PublicationThe Washington Post
2.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Primacy Effect
0%Primacy Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
5.4%PublicationThe Washington Post
1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Blind-Spot Bias
0%Blind-Spot Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Ad Hominem
0%Ad Hominem
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Straw Man
0%Straw Man
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Appeal to Authority
0%Appeal to Authority
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
5.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
False Dilemma
0%False Dilemma
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
3%PublicationThe Washington Post
1.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Slippery Slope
0%Slippery Slope
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
8.4%PublicationThe Washington Post
1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Circular Reasoning
0%Circular Reasoning
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Hasty Generalization
0%Hasty Generalization
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
14.5%PublicationThe Washington Post
5.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Red Herring
0%Red Herring
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Bandwagon
0%Bandwagon
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Appeal to Emotion
0%Appeal to Emotion
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
6.7%PublicationThe Washington Post
6.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Begging the Question
0%Begging the Question
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
1.5%PublicationThe Washington Post
1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Post Hoc (False Cause)
49.2%Post Hoc (False Cause)
OverallThis article
49.2%AuthorDan Merica
12.2%PublicationThe Washington Post
4.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Tu Quoque
0%Tu Quoque
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Burden of Proof
49.2%Burden of Proof
OverallThis article
49.2%AuthorDan Merica
2%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Appeal to Nature
0%Appeal to Nature
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Composition/Division
0%Composition/Division
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Anecdotal
0%Anecdotal
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
1.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
No True Scotsman
0%No True Scotsman
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Ambiguity (Equivocation)
24.6%Ambiguity (Equivocation)
OverallThis article
24.6%AuthorDan Merica
2.5%PublicationThe Washington Post
2.8%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Gambler’s Fallacy
0%Gambler’s Fallacy
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Middle Ground
0%Middle Ground
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Personal Incredulity
0%Personal Incredulity
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Special Pleading
0%Special Pleading
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Genetic Fallacy
0%Genetic Fallacy
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Unattributed Quote
55.4%Unattributed Quote
OverallThis article
55.4%AuthorDan Merica
7.4%PublicationThe Washington Post
4.8%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Quote-first Misdirection
0%Quote-first Misdirection
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
2.9%PublicationThe Washington Post
2.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Biased Writer Voice
86.2%Biased Writer Voice
OverallThis article
86.2%AuthorDan Merica
37.6%PublicationThe Washington Post
15.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Indoctrination
0%Indoctrination
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Politically Left Leaning Bias
0%Politically Left Leaning Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
13.2%PublicationThe Washington Post
3.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Politically Right Leaning Bias
0%Politically Right Leaning Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
2.7%PublicationThe Washington Post
1.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Attempt to Sell a Product or Service
0%Attempt to Sell a Product or Service
OverallThis article
0%AuthorDan Merica
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
1.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
65 words analyzed.
Analysis
Hover over highlighted words in the article to view the associated bias or fallacy analysis.