Photo from Brad Blog
I've written a lot in the past that it is a shame that we not only expect politicians to openly lie to us, we usually shrug it off, almost without a thought. Well, unless he wags his finger at us and tells us he "didn't have sex with that woman, Miss Lewinsky." Then, people will rant and rave about it for years.
Politicians lie about big stuff (Mrs. Palin's "bridge to nowhere" lie), they lie about small stuff ("I'm staying in this to the end!" by every primary contender except Hillary Clinton), and absolutely inconsequential stuff like that in this story. Most media outlets hedge around calling politicians on lies. They use phrases and words like, "misstatement," "doesn't line up with the facts," even "untruth," but rarely say the candidate lied.
In this case the magnitude of the lie, and the thing being lied about aren't of much notice. It's the story of a campaign screw-up, and at John McCain's big speech, no less. Hardly earth shattering. But that's kind of the point, isn't it? There was no need to lie here, and they didn't at first. Then they came up with a story with an air of "truthiness" about it, and changed their true answer to a lie. Why? And why do most of us not care?
The reason I care, is that this has been the pattern of the current holder of the White House for the entire term. Start with one story, then change it to something that sounds better, more "truthy," and then change it again. Heedless of video or audio proof that their story has changed, they change it anyway. If that is what McCain aims to continue, I want no part of it.
[Excerpt]
Those of Us Who Are About to Tire Swing. . .
It always brings a tear to my eye when I see the Grey Lady hopping on the McCain tire swing. But there she goes. Yesterday the McCain campaign was all mum on the Walter Reed/Green Screen goof until deep in the evening when they released some pro forma bamboozlement to the effect that it was all on purpose. They mean to highlight the middle school. . .
Read more at: TPM Muckraker
