Monday, September 22, 2008

Lies

Events have been unfolding fast in this Presidential campaign, too fast for me to keep up it seems (I've also been very busy these days), but it does appear that a clear path of attack for Obama has opened up—one that even the continually and tragically befuddled Democrats can employ: The McCain camp has been lying like hell. Continually.

On TV and on the stump, whether it Palin's pathetically false "Thanks but no thanks" statement about the so-called bridge to nowhere that she ardently supported (before it became a public embarrassment to Alaska anyway) or the McCain ad claims that Obama "supported comprehensive sex education for minors" when Obama actually supports a program to help children recognize and avoid sexual predators, they've been playing beyond loose with the facts.

Both sides traditionally stretch the truth in negative ads and attacks, that is American politics, but as Joe Klein mentions in his most recent TIME op-ed, this time McCain has completely sailed beyond the edge of normal politics into Fantasyland, even repeating lies again and again that have been proved demonstratably false to anyone with an IQ above 50.

Even when the McCain camp complains about being called liars, they lie.

It's pathetic, and doubly so because McCain, whom I once admired, promised to run an 'honorable campaign" and supposedly holds personal integrity in great regard. Were is the honor in baseless allegations, lies, and smears?