Paul Krugman, who’s been nearly as frustrated by Mitt Romney’s habitual dishonesty as I’ve been, noted this week that political observers should pause to appreciate “this remarkable spectacle.” Krugman added, “I really don’t think there’s been anything like this in American political history: a presidential campaign, with a pretty good chance of winning, that is based entirely on cynical lies about what the sitting president has said.”
Like most Americans, I grew up learning things like, “Honesty is the best policy,” and “If you tell the truth, you never have to remember anything.” They were simple yet very effective lessons. Combine that being caught lying (and suffering the consequences) and I learned early on that the truth will eventually and inevitably catch up with you. I’ve tried hard to lead a life of integrity; while I’ve often fallen short (I’ll admit to being both fallible and flawed), I’ve succeeded more often than I’ve failed.
Most Americans believe that, and conduct themselves as if, honesty matters. I remember my father and his contemporaries often doing business on a handshake. “A man’s word is his bond” may seem trite, but for most of American history that attitude held sway. If your word couldn’t be trusted, it was difficult to find anyone would do business with you. Being regarded as a person of integrity was a good thing, and not just because it was the right thing to do.
That was then. Today we have a living, breathing example of what complete and utter disdain for truth and integrity looks like- and he’s the Republican nominee for President. Mitt Romney has, with a straight face and no hint of irony, claimed on many occasions to be a man of integrity. Ponder that while considering that Steve Benen just rolled out Vol. XXVII of his weekly edition of Chronicling Mitt’s Mendacity. How can a man so thoroughly and completely dishonest have attained such a lofty status? Well, it helps being a member of a party that views honesty and integrity as evidence of personal weakness.
Simply put, Romney’s campaign is a house built on lies, propaganda, cynicism, and disinformation. This may be the oldest joke in the book, but the best way to determine if Mitt Romney’s lying is to determine if his lips are moving. Benen’s latest installment of Chronicling Mitt’s Mendacity showcases 26 provably (and proven) false statements by Romney. In some cases, it’s clear that Romney couldn’t care less about the veracity (or lack of same) of his assertions. Even when a campaign ad has been proven inaccurate and factually incorrect, Team Romney keeps running it. Evidently it’s not a lie if you can convince the American Sheeple that it’s true. The mendacity that fuels the GOP standard bearer’s campaign is truly breath-taking (and disturbing) to behold.
This from a man who frequently and with great indignation accuses the President of dishonesty.
It seems that what’s sauce for the goose isn’t necessarily sauce for the gander. Yes, the rich really do play by different rules…because they’re the ones who make the rules.
The truly depressing aspect of Benen’s series is the sheer volume of lies spewed by Romney. Por ejemplo, if you multiply 26 provably false statements by 27 weeks, you get…well, a truly depressing picture of the depth of Romney’s epic mendacity. Mitt Romney is an inveterate liar who can’t even be honest about being dishonest. When it’s all and only about winning, it turns out that truth is for losers and Liberals.
It seems that the American Sheeple will tolerate a liar…as long as he’s Republican. Remember, being Republican means never having to say you’re sorry…or worry about being held accountable for your dishonesty and lack of integrity.
Move along, people…no hypocrisy or double standards here….
