Palin lies, again

[ProSense]

September 7, 2008
By: Hilzoy

Oops! She Did It Again

ABC's Political Punch reports on Sarah Palin's speech today:

"She said she "championed reform of earmark spending by Congress, and I told the Congress thanks but no thanks on that 'Bridge to Nowhere'", she said, ommiting (sic) mention that she'd campaigned for governor supporting the bridge."

I take it most readers of this blog will know that this is a flat-out lie.

When politicians lie -- and here I mean not just putting the best spin on things, but out and out lying -- they might as well walk up to each and every one of us and say: Hello! I have no respect for the value of your time! You might have other things to do -- work, playing with your kids, taking a long hike in the mountains, whatever -- but I don't care. I'm going to put you in a position where you're going to have to research everything I say, or else just give up on your civic duty. You don't get to assume that my words are, if not exactly true, at least somewhere in the general vicinity of the truth, and decide whether or not to vote for me. If you want to be an informed citizen, you'll have to become obsessive, like hilzoy.

They might as well add: I have no respect for democracy. In a democracy, citizens listen to what each side has to say and decide who to vote for. To work, it requires that what each side says bears some resemblance to the truth. If I cared about democracy, I'd respect those limits -- maybe stretching the truth every now and then, but generally maintaining some sort of relationship between what I say and reality. But guess what? I don't care about democracy! If winning requires that I make things up out of whole cloth and hope that I'm successful enough to frustrate the popular will, then that's what I'll do. Don't like it? Think democracy is a good system, one that we should cherish? That's just too bad.

But Palin has gone beyond this. She is not just telling lies; she's telling lies that have been exposed as lies, and that have gotten a lot of attention. Assuming she does not actually want to lose, she must assume that her audience either doesn't know that she's lying, or doesn't care. In either case, it's deeply cynical, and deeply insulting.

I just hope she isn't right.

[toddGA]

1. Finally they're using the right word: "Lies"

thanks for this!

[MadMaddie]

4. I am waiting for them to say it's a joke.

[toddGA]

8. actually i do, but i count on her for honesty. i was just surprised

that the others are finally being honest...

[Gabi Hayes]

5. ABC didn't use the word, and Tapper was very careful to softpedal the extent of

her mendacity, of course

you will NOT see the M$M use the word lie when it involves a republican

if they do, the election is officially over

count on it

they STILL won't ever use the word in connection with the run up to the war

show me an instance when a major TELEVISION outlet has called them liars. I don't care about radio/magazine/newspaper/internet: if it didn't happen on TV, it didn't happen (AFA the average ovine news consumer)

[ComplimentarySwine]

6. I take it you don't watch Maddow on MSNBC? n/t

[Major Hogwash]

12. Not everyone watches MSNBC.

Not all cable providers carry MSNBC.

So, whatever Maddow is saying isn't being heard by everyone.

We need to be heard on the major stations, ABC, NBC, and CBS.

Or we're dead.

[Gabi Hayes]

14. you take it wrong. I love the fact of her calling lies lies, and I've posted on it.

the link said ABC, didn't it? not MSNBC, which nobody watches, basically

until this stuff gets on the main channels, it's not going to be meaninful

anyone following the campaign even a little bit knows who Rev. Wright is.

they made sure of that

where are the McCain/Palin skeletons?

Hagee/Falwell/Parsley? no coverage at all on them, compared to Wright

I hope it changes; I really do, but what evidence is there that it will?

they picked Gibson/Palin for a reason, you know

[ComplimentarySwine]

17. I'm sorry, I thought that your post referred to the "M$M"

"you will NOT see the M$M use the word lie when it involves a republican"

I consider MSNBC part of the main-stream-media. Of course, you are welcome to have a different opinion than my own.

[K8-EEE]

2. Oh wait isn't that "misspeaking" when Republicans do it?

LET'S CALL A LIE A LIE!

[LonelyLRLiberal]

3. Anytime her lipsticked lips are flapping, lies are flying out. eom

[nc4bo]

7. The people that she's asskissing right now - DO NOT CARE! sorry for the caps hehe. nt

[Disturbed]

9. Yesterday McClown blatantly lied about Sen Obama.

McClown said that Sen. Obama has never worked with Repugs regarding legislation. Why does he outright lie when that lie can be easily proven to be a lie?

[nc4bo]

10. I heard that blatant lie too. I get the feeling that those blinded by the GOP shiny thing

are just not interested in finding out the truth or they are just incapable of admitting the obvious. Recognizing and admitting to the truth would leave them with nothing.

Blind support.

[Not a robought]

11. So true

There will always be a component of low information voters who will support someone speaking to fear and protection from it, than to get behind someone who will work to promise and better days ahead.

They don't care if the candidate doesn't believe or live the BS they speak. Hypocrisy and facts aren't all that important to them. It's how the neocons have gotten by on their agenda.

The question is (and hasn't changed no matter what fascination there is around Sarah Palin), are the American public willing to entertain a continuation of the same policies for the next 4 years?

[Gabi Hayes]

16. because lies WORK, even when they're refuted. the refutation merely serves

to advance the lie. it's more effective to lie than to tell a damaging truth.

that's why they don't stop!

[creeksneakers2]

13. The media keeps saying that she supported earmarks

but not that she lied about her support for earmarks.

The situation in our country now is as described in the essay. Republicans are so confident that they can get away with lying that they do it without a second thought.

Awhile back, Bush and the right wing media took on NBC News for not carrying one of Bush's lies. The idea that if NBC had carried it and done the responsible thing then Bush would have been caught was never considered by anybody, least of all NBC.

[FrenchieCat]

15. Yep. Cause she thinks we're stupid.

That's why she lies with inpugnity.