President Pinocchio
by BushBGone04
Sept. 28, 2003

During the 2000 presidential campaign, the big issue being bandied about was "honesty". Conservatives were still in an uproar because, they said, Clinton had lied to Congress and they even had him impeached. They spent $40 million investigating his improprieties in the Oval Office. Since his actions were between two consenting adults, while they may have been immoral, they were certainly not illegal and he never should have been called to testify in the first place, since no crime was committed. Nevertheless, the fact that he "lied" occupied the media and Congress for a good deal of Clinton's second term.

During the Bush-Gore campaign, everything Gore said was twisted by the spinmasters in Bush's corner, under the direction of Karl Rove. He was painted with the same brush that tainted Clinton and Al Gore was looked at as lying. Bush touted himself as an honest, born-again, good old boy. His simple down home act made people think he wasn't sophisticated enough to concoct lies. In fact, his lies are so many and so frequent, it would seem to be a pathological condition.

When polls were conducted, they showed that many voters felt honesty was the personal quality they were looking for in a candidate. Exit polls on election day showed a majority, 24%, said honesty was the most important personal quality to them. Experience was the next closest quality with 15%. Of those voters who valued honesty as most important, 80% voted for Bush.

We've now had three years of Bush's brand of "honesty". He has lied to the American people. He has lied to the UN, He has lied to Congress, as has his vice-president, Dick Cheney and most of his administration. They have all been guilty of conspiracy to deceive the entire world. Unlike Clinton's "lie" to preserve his privacy in what was an intimate matter, that caused damage only to his marriage, the web of lies spun by this administration has caused the death of 300 American troops, sent 6,000 home with wounds, many with permanent consequences, killed 10,000 Iraqi troops, 7,000 civilian Iraqi men. women and children, decimated their country, made us more vulnerable to terrorist attacks around the world, alienated our allies, cost us $79 billion so far, with a request for an additional $87 billion before Congress and turned our military into an occupying force of 130,000 troops, 6,000 miles from home. All of that damage and that only involves one issue that was lied about. There's still the economy, the environment, the tax cuts, and the list goes on.

Where is the outrage? Where are those voters who placed honesty as the most important quality? Where are those same people who clamored for Clinton's impeachment? Why is the media silent? Reporters and newscasters twist themselves into knots trying to find euphemisms to use instead of saying flat out, Bush lied. They will say the Iraqi threat may have been exaggerated, we may have been misinformed, the numbers may have been slanted, intelligence may have been selectively reported, that statement was not totally accurate, and well, technically it was correct. A lie by any other name is still a lie and the lies told by this administration have been fatal to thousands. If President Bush were Pinocchio, his nose would precede him by a mile. Where is the call for accountability? When are Americans going to say, "Enough!"

The damage done by this administration is monumental. Those who can still support this administration in light of the devastation done to this country need to examine their ethics, their morals and their patriotism.

9-28-03