"Halfway through President Clinton's tenure in office in 1996, the poverty rate was 13.7 percent. Halfway through President Bush's tenure, the rate is 12.7 percent, a full point lower."

"During the Clinton presidency, 1993 to 2000, the poverty rate fell every year, but it has risen every year that Bush has been in office.

Are both sets of statistics accurate?

Yes, according to a poverty table compiled by the Census Bureau, which may be the most authoritative source regarding poverty in the United States, at least as far as poverty is defined by the United States government.

What are the sources for the two statements?

The first statement has been attributed to Fox News pundit, Bill O'Reilly?

The second statement came from Media Matters for America as part of a "fact-check" the group did.

What are the politcal agendas behind those sources?

The sites themselves will provide a lot of information. Media Matters reveals much about itself on a page that explains why was this group formed. In addition, a quick search of the web or any of several periodical databases will help you see what other people have had to say about the political outlook of both.

Were either of the statements taken out of context?

You would need to do a little more digging to answer this.

Are statistics on poverty rates a meaningful measure of "presidential efforts to fight poverty"?

That is a different kind of question that might require a different kind of thought.