Does the Truth Matter Anymore?

This ad is in line with the Willie Horton and Harold Ford "call me" ad linking black men with sexual topics. Lying is bad enough, race baiting is reprehensible.
No. the media will continue to swoon over Palin and be intimated by the Republicans as they have been since 9/11.

Question: is any kind of sex ed appropriate in kindergarten? Frankly, I thought this was the kind of thing better left to parents.

It's amazing how the fact-checks of the Obama campaign keep coming up true and verified, or at worst "exaggerated" while the McCain campaign gets caught over and over again in outright falsehoods. Lightning should strike the Straight Talk Express. Don't know how this man can live with himself. He must really, REALLY want to be president.

Contrast this with Obama, who is drawing fire from his own party because he refuses to stoop to ad hominem (ad mulier?) attacks even when invited to do so by friendly interviewers. Obama said he'd run a clean campaign and he's doing so. McCain said the same thing. I invite everyone to re-watch the first three days of the Republican convention and see how "clean" folks like Lieberman and Giuliani and yes, Palin were. Then watch Obama's acceptance speech at Invesco. That should be the last word you really need on this election.

If McCain/Palin are so concerned about sex ed, they need only look at Alaska which has the highest rape & incest rate in the entire country, according to a guest on Countdown. Add this to the reports that Alaska also has the highest high school dropout rate in the country. What's up with Alaska?

As to lying, the Republicans have been doing it for years and getting away with it. They do it easily and well and don't appear to feel guilty about it at all. That McCain does it just shows he's more like Karl Rove than we thought he was.

The old John McCain? Which one:

1959 John: The wild man who partied like a lunatic and graduated near the bottom of his class.

1969 John: War hero. Got shot down; I'm not saying that he should have taken his training more seriously, but crashing 5 planes? Anybody can have bad luck in war, but you have to work hard first to make me feel sorry for you.

1979 John: Ditched his first wife to marrying into a powerful, wealthy, connected organized crime family so he could make a career change and go into politics

1989 John: After cavorting in the Caymans with Keating - of Savings and Loan Scandal infamy - gets caught pocketing $112,000 (and doesn't report it to the IRS). Gets off scot-free

1999 John: Uses campaign finance reform to whitewash his influence peddling sins and runs for President as a maverick

2008 John: Embraces Bush's tax cuts, the far right religious agents of intolerance, a right wing looney as VP who believes in using science to find the oil but not to clean up the mess from oil, who believes in using science to protect her personal health but not our shared planet.

McCain is a fraud who lies, cheats and steals.

Please don't tell me that the liberal writers from the WaPo can't see into the true nature of his character. I know stuff gets edited, but, please tell us that you people have the capacity to, if not write about, then at least perceive the truth.

When we've lost the ability to see and speak or write the truth, then we have lost our way.

The New York Times did an investigation and called out ***Sen. McCain for marrying into an organized crime family***.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/23/us/politics/23mccain.html

It would be nice if the good folks at the WaPo would investigate this matter.

If it was false, then McCain would have sued the NYT. So I'm assuming that the above article is true. Which begs the question: **Why isn't the WaPo investigating and reporting this?**

Thanks in advance,

the press has decided to sleep this one out.

no one asks Republicans any questions
there is a complete pass, as the commentators spew the lies over and over and over again.

WHY?....

How to know McCain is lying. His lips are moving.

No, E.J, the truth died in November 2000, and you helped put a shiv in its back. After lying about WMD, lying about outing Valeria Plame, lying about firing US Attorneys, lying about global warming, lying about terrorist threats, lying about Kerry's Swift Boat, lying about Abramoff's bribery, and lying about their terrible moral failings with sex scandal after sex scandal, what makes you think the GOP wouldn't lie about Obama? What amazes me is the sheer number of my fellow Americans who still think that believing these lies makes them patriotic.

There is only one answer to your very appropriate and urgent question -- the McCain campaign is being run by Rove proteges.

Does the truth matter anymore?
It has NOT mattered to Bush, Chenny, Rove, Libby, mini-Bush-McCain, and now Sarah Palin, for they rather LOOSE a nation than an election.
.
This lady Sarah Palin claims that the Iraq war is a plan of God, AS IF SHE KNEW GOD'S PLANS! That's the same OLD tactic of corrupt leaders, corrupt priests, voodoo witches, and the like.
.
Please, people, don't let yourselves be fooled by the deluded.

The way that the media is handling the campaigns is most distressing! What bothers me the most, is that many americans are swayed so easily by the television news and do not do the proper reading and study in casting a vote.
I just read a wonderful book about the media entitled: "Amusing Ourselves to Death, Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business", by author Neil Postman. I highly recommend that people read this book, as it offers reasons why people are manipulated by such falsehoods and turn a deaf ear to them. We should be angry and we, as responsible americans, need to ask more from our candidates than such trifling, nasty, false attacks to grab the headlines, instead of true disclosure and arguments for the future of our country. Electing a president should never be about the latest fad or buzz..... it should be about the issues and caring for our country. To quote Obama "yes, we can..... but we have to want to, first, and more importantly, believe that we can do something about our situation". We need to stop whining and being apathetic, and start being active, responsible citizens demanding truth and thoughtful discourse over rubbish. We are letting TV buzz for entertainment sway our better judgement. How very sad indeed. The twilight of the american culture, I fear.....

From my view in Toronto, I can not believe all the garbage you folks get get fed. Where is the press asking the tough questions. We get a very different slant on your politics up here. Too bad many of you don't.

I read to that Mcain is in a dead heat with Obama. Unreal!?!? How does such a great nation continue to get it so wrong now for almost 10 years!?!?

Speaking to the Republican Convention speeches. I did not hear all of them but Mayor Guliano, Fred Thompson and our Mr. Morman Man. Have these men no honor?? Such lies and vitriol spewed forth. I could scarcely believe my ears! Curious thing there are alot of people in the USA who belive this and it is unfortunate, this election may turn on this!! Pleas say it isn't so!!

There is really no appropriate level of sex education for children in kindergarden. Wake up folks. When we will stop over-sexualizing our youth? Let them be kids, watch winnie the pooh, etc. This crazy stuff makes me question my previous support of democrat party candidates, and pushes me towards voting republican.

With all due respect, I think this is kind of disingenuous: has the author read his own paper I wonder? How about the piece in the same edition by Jonathan Weisman, which, like this piece, does semiotic gymnastics to avoid the word "lie." "Untruths can become facts"; "false charges"; "false claims" -- very rich. Can we not just call a lie a lie?

I thought these things were over for my Republican party I am disappointed to seem them stoop so low. We are suppose to be the party of values and morals. Lately, it seems to just be of racism and low blows.

I am ashamed. McCain you have no honor

I thought these things were over for my Republican party I am disappointed to seem them stoop so low. We are suppose to be the party of values and morals. Lately, it seems to just be of racism and low blows.

I am ashamed. McCain you have no honor

Obama is for sex education. He was representing a very liberal constituency and operating in a mostly liberal legislative body. His votes are going to be examined.

Deal with it.

If people from 22 other countries say they prefer Obama for president, why doesn't Obama run for president of the world?

Ultimately this is his goal anyway.

Question: is any kind of sex ed appropriate in kindergarten? Frankly, I thought this was the kind of thing better left to parents.

Posted by: Jane | September 10, 2008 12:32 AM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Exactly. Well said. I am sitting her reading this doorknob's article and wondering why the heck we need ANY kind of sex ed in kindergarten. What the heck are parents for? Why not have training for parents instead if this is such a sensitive issue. And if we are going to say, well, we cannot depend on parents to basically tell their kids - scream if anyone fondles you - what else about parents can we not depend on. This is ridiculous.

Wow, the "far left" is strong here. Get over it. I want them to investigate Obama more than has been done. He is getting a free ride by the press who wants him elected. The media in this election will be talked about for years to come even if their "chosen one" loses. HAHA!! I love it!

The question is indeed whether the intimidation of "the media" has been thoroughly successful. We will know more about that come Thursday, when Charlie Gibson interviews Sarah Palin for the first time. If that interview turns out to be another "Home and Garden" piece on Palin, you can safely conclude that the lies will not only continue unabated, but that "the media" will actually become a sounding board for them.
But the problem with that goes deeper than mere frustration at the absurdity of it all. Rather, it goes to what we know is a factor in this contest but that we are reluctant to talk about. Given Palin's evident willingness to lie brazenly in keeping with whatever script is handed her, what will happen if she does in fact become "bulletproof" is clear and inevitable. Remember what is always lurking in the Bushes--the ghosts of Willie Horton and McCain's illegimate black baby. The McCain campaign is run by proteges of the people who brought you those two things. Palin's script will be enhanced in a similar way--the white woman hockey mom raising the specter of those two scary exotic people-who-aren't-like us (Obama and his wife).
The first shot's already been fired. I haven't seen anyone else mention it, but in her acceptance speech, Palin said that running for president "is not a journey of self-discovery." I was struck by the line then, and have pondered it ever since. What did they mean by that? It only became clear when I recollected another speaker--Huckabee, I believe--saying that Obama's nomination is "symbolic." Now I get it.
EJ, I sense your growing frustration, and I share it as I share your progressive point of view. I dearly love this country, but if the American people are fooled by this kind of charade yet again--well, then, we deserve every jot and tittle of what's to come.

I find it hard to believe that Dionne does not know the "Big Lie' propaganda of Hitler's Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels. Dionne, just Google the "14 points of fascism, living under fascism, Joseph Goebbels, Nazi propaganda", and you will finds the answer to your question.

The GOP put us all into a trance at their convention, lowballing expectations for McCain, then rolling our Ms. Palin with Hillary's sexist backlash strategy aimed and sprung as tightly as possible, ready to take the legs out from under any and all Palin critics, from the press to the dems, and armchair quarterbacks at home. This left everyone flommoxed, throwing Obama further off his game than he already was (they already took him half down when he went to Berlin, with their effective celebrity attack).
We're in the final stretch here folks and if Obama/Biden succeed, it will because they got back to THEIR OWN game plan, played full court press like it's the last two minutes, and made as sure as possible that every day between now and election day wins votes rather than loses them, and that they immediately see a stall for what it is, and immediately, IMMEDIATELY resume THEIR OWN strategy.
The team that keeps the other from their own game usually wins these things. Intensity of play is key.
And there's no time to waste on distractions...

Does the Truth Matter Anymore? nope! like whales, jounalists and bloggers alike will keep spouting off untruths in hopes that their measly influence will somehow get the candidate they support elected to the presidency.

Between the Freddie/Fannie Gaffe, censorship, this totally disgusting ad....
Charles Gibson, do you hear the American people?.... This reminds me of that Twilight Zone episode, "It's a Good Life" (staring Billy Mummy, thanks Wiki)... For the love of God, Charlie... please grab your pen and end this.

Alaska has a high dropout rate because the oil companies in Alaska will hire you after 10th grade. No great mystery.

As for Obama's Tax Policy, he's on version 3 or 4 now. Version 1 definitely had him raising taxes. But his cuts are nonsense. Any miniscule amount of growth in wages would dwarf Obama's tax cuts. Growth is much better then the piddling amount the government might give back. He's only talking about $.25/hour...

As for whose lying, well, they both are really because whoever is President is going to have to severely cut...

Go over to perotcharts.com and get informed first if you really want to talk about tax policy.

Man, nasty hateful stuff coming out from the Obama camp at the Post and headquarters. Maybe someone should call Sarah Palin a pig and a stanky smelling fish. Oh yeah, Obama did.

I like the way Palin's "flip-flop" was described by Time magazine when it was first reported, this egregious behavior, it said she backed the plan until the cost became too much. That's crazy -- something in politics actually making sense? Actually evaluating cost before a project starts and assessing that it will be too much and then making decision to not go forward -- even though 30 million was available? Too much competence and sanity there for politics as usual.

Everyone knows a politician is supposed to start a project on an unrealistic budget and then get overruns and overruns and overruns because once its begun its easier to go back to the trough. That's how it's always been done. Doesn't Sarah Palin know that?

But things changed, didn't they and not like a stanky fish and lipsticked pig. No more business as usual.

Don't start hatin' Palin, blame the messiah from Hawaii-ah for this state of affairs.

Obama must stop acting like a gentleman. He needs to become a street fighter and publicly call McCain and his sidekick LIARS, That would surely peek the interest of the voters who might then seek out what is the truth.

So it does not matter to anyone that even the Alaskan Democratic Party credit her for killing the "Bridge Project" ...

Alaska has the highest dropout rate because it has the best paying jobs in the country. Kids can drop out of grade 11 and get a job and earn 80K/year.

Imagine you're 16 and someone is waving an 80K check and a 10K signing bonus and a company truck. You might go for it. I might go for it.

It is success, that you can support a family without having to write essays on Hamlet.

William Ayers
Tony Rezko
Jeremiah Wright

Obama has at least one thing right... ENOUGH!

Sad how he even had a freudian slip with his faith being Muslim.

He is a fake and everyone knows it. Any other democrat would of won this election by a landslide. Oh well!

Republicans have always fought dirty. What's news?

This was a terrible ad, mocking in tone. Why do they get away with it?

Yet when Obama says Sarah Pa-lyin' and McCain are pigs with lipstick trying to dress themselves up as better than lying pigs, then McCain and Pa-lyin' cry out like stuck pigs?

age appropriate sex ed for kindergarten is simply that you don't let your classmates touch you and don't talk to strangers. that's been taught in kindergarten forever. get over it.

We know that Republicans are a bunch of established liars.

Why is everyone else surprised? Why does anybody believe all their lies?

Because they profess to love God more than than themselves, their country more than money. Shyatt.

People... get you facts straight. First you CAN NOT BELIEVE about 90 % of what you read and see on NBC, ABC, CBS and or FOX.

It they have any 'minority' journalists or their bosses are LIBERAL. Then what you get is 100% SUPPORT for Obama. Obama is a typical lawyer... what ever it takes to WIN A CASE. His uses the same ideology to run for president. He firmly believes everything he tells his audiences. He is ALWAYS right, he knows everything.. and his ideas are the best.. BECAUSE HE IS THE KING.

Instead of listening to the MSM convince you that everyone is against Obama. If he can convince the audience that he knows nothing, sees nothing or hears nothing about his campaign workers creating racist
articles to prove that America is against him because he is bi-racial.. then he can deny, deny, deny.

Just like he can deny that he is sexist..does not pay is white women workers the same as black women. He WOULD NOT put Hillary on his ticket. ( And here is HOPING that he loses the nomination.. for his sexist attitude.)

I would also like him to provide the following information BECAUSE I do not trust the MSM when it comes to vetting THE KING.

Well, I would like to see someone post information regarding the following:

Obams's Occidental College records
Obama's Columbia College records
Obama's Columbia Thesis paper
Obama's Harvard College records
Obama's Selective Service Registration
Obama's Medical records
Obama's Illinois State Senate records
A certified copy of Obama’s Original Birth Certificate
Obama's embossed, signed paper Certification of Live Birth
Any Obama Harvard Law Review articles that were published (I have found one.)
Obama's University of Chicago scholarly articles or publications.
What religion did Obama practice before he became a Christian and Joined Holy Trinity.
What type of grants, scholarships, loans did he receive to attend the Private schools he attended.
Copies of all national test scores, all letter of recommendation and his tax records while he attend
Columbia and Harvard.
What was his religion BEFORE he became a
Christian.
Obama's Tax Recorts when he was going to all those ELITE PRIVATE SCHOOLS.

Mr. Obama is being considered for the highest job in America, and he should provide the above as if he would be interviewing for that position in Corporate America.

Their Republican Catholic priests have been teaching little boys how to have sex for many years.

Posted by: Jane | September 10, 2008 12:32 AM

Looks like Palin forgot to teach it to her daughters.

Great article

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122100927525717663.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Does your Bible teach you how to lie, and lie loudly, huh, Republicans?

Mine doesn't.

How exactly did they propose teaching 5 year old kids what an inapproriate touch was?

I'd like to see that picture book.

Yes, Palin Did Stop That Bridge

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122100927525717663.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

America is regressing into a path it will soon never be able to reverse. Blame, Republicans, Democrats. They are the disease to progress, they are both the cancer of hope. The truth still matter's, but the listener is lazy. America is not about the people, it's about the party. Years from now, when all is lost, maybe an Alien, or Jesus, or Mohammid, or Budda, will arrive at our planet snd shake their heads in unison and say...such a beautiful idea, such a wonderful people, destroyed by two parties of such shallow intellect. what a shame.

If the media would only stand up and tell the truth. The FCC should fine anyone lying
while on air or in print.

>>El Magroso wrote: "Does the truth matter anymore? It has NOT mattered to Bush, Chenny, Rove, Libby, mini-Bush-McCain, and now Sarah Palin, for they rather LOOSE a nation than an election."

The truth? Didn't matter to Clinton (take your pick Bill or Hillary) why should there be a double standard? If the Dems are so perfect lets see them walk on water.

None of them tell the whole truth, although sometimes there's a grain of truth to what they're saying. It's the nature of politics. It always gets ugly and stressfull. I get tired of seeing either side mudsling and BOTH of them are doing it, whether in a speech or in a commercial.

Question: is any kind of sex ed appropriate in kindergarten? Frankly, I thought this was the kind of thing better left to parents.

Posted by: Jane | September 10, 2008 12:32 AM
---------------------------------------------
Answer: "Sex ed" in kindergarten is about inappropriate touching, which is an appropriate and important way to reduce child sexual abuse. If you really want to understand this, please ask a kindergarten teacher.

Obama delivered over $100 million in earmarks to Illinois last year and has requested nearly a billion dollars in pet projects since 2005. His running mate, Joe Biden, is still indulging in earmarks, securing over $90 million worth this year.

If the WP can lie over and over on it's editorial pages, then why can't the McCain Campaign lie over and over. Clean up your own "Country,First!"

The Republicans lie much, much more. About everything they say is a lie.

PER CAPITA, Palin requested TEN TIMES MORE money from the fed than did Obama. You Republicans are always distorting the truth again.

Why should each person in Alaska have 10 times more money than anyone else?

Greed.

> Well said. I am sitting her reading this doorknob's article and wondering why the heck we need ANY kind of sex ed in kindergarten.
------

They're not teaching kids about sex, they're teaching them to avoid predators. Do you WANT children to fall victim to pedophiles?

There are many pedophiles. Ask the Republican Catholic priests.

Kids need to know when to feel, "Ugh, this old guy is a pervert. He's trying to do me dirty. I should stay away from him......"

This is what it has come down to: mock, ridicule, smear, exaggerate, distort, and LIE.

Then cry sexist when Biden brings up stem cell research or Obama calls the McCain/Palin change "lipstick on a pig" (EXACTLY the term McCain used to hit Hillary a year ago.)

Karl Rove politics. And look what those politics have given us? The country is going down the tubes and all McCain cares about is winning. Country First my behind.

What I don't get is how John McCain can allow himself to be allied with the same people who perpetrated a very nasty attack on him when he was running against Bush in 2000.

After McCain had won in Hew Hampshire Karl Rove devised a nasty piece of work aimed at derailing McCain in South Carolina. Mr. Rove had his minions call voters and ask a simple question

"Would you be more likely or less likely to vote for John McCain if you knew he had fathered an illegitimate black child"

These are the people that Senator McCain is sleeping with these days, the people who orchestrated the devastating smear campaign against him in 2000 when he was leading then Governor Bush in the race for the republican nomination.

It should come as little surprise to anyone that McCain is now resorting to the lowest type of character assassination and dirty politicking. After all he has made a deal with the devil himself Karl Rove. What really would you expect.

Women have now swung into John McCain's camp, according to the polls. They supported HRC, who on every issue believes the exact opposite of Palin.

Palin is not even real. The stuff she says is written for her. She has no opinions of her own, at least she's not allowed to speak them to the press.

Just goes to show you that Women (and men) are stupid. "Oh, she's a mom. She's running for VP. I'm a mom. I'll vote for her."

Bush was right about one thing: Voters are sheep. They will follow the herd.

This statement came out before the 2004 election, and Americans still voted for Bush.

McCain says the most important issue of our time is Islamic fundamentalism. Nope. Now the most important issue of our time is earmarks.

Our economy is in the tank. 40-plus million without healthcare. People are losing their homes. Bridges are falling down. Roads are full of potholes. Our airports are like third-world bus stops. Foreign countries no longer respect us, or fear us. Our foreign policy is bankrupt. We're losing two wars. And those that attacked us are still on the run.

Never mind. What's really important is those earmarks.

The damn boat could be sinking and filling with water and American would be wearing their flag lapels and chanting, USA. USA.

Wake up.

The odd thing about this article is the author doesn't actually provide any examples of supposed lies that has made him so sad.

The major topic he cites as an example was true, as he relays via a quote from the person he cites as the arbiter: "Obama did vote for but was not a sponsor of legislation dealing with sex ed for grades K-12."

OK. Obama did vote for it.

This guy himself in his own article lamenting "lies" says it was true.

I think a better description of this article would be "does sanity matter anymore?"

Apparently it doesn't at the Washington Post.

Obama hit McCain hard today with pig with lipstick comment on his policies. Lipstick or not, it’s still Bush’s policies.

McCain is lying about Obama's record; and Palin is lying about the Bridge to Nowhere.

McCain and Palin are liars. Yup. Yup.

Look, it's only sexist IF the media decides to go light on Palin because she is a woman. It would be as if the media is telling America: "hey, this is a female, we know she can't handle the tough questions."

Let Palin prove herself.
Let her explain the following:

why she was FOR the bridge to nowhere before she was against it, and then used the funds anyway for something else.

why she lied about firing her personal chef and selling that plane on e-Bay.

why she charged taxpayers for travel expenses when she was at home, including travel for her children.

why she raised taxes on groceries as mayor, and left the town with a large debt when she left office.

why she requested $27 million in earmark funding for her town of 6,000.

why her state has the highest TAX and SPENDING per person in the US.

why she is against a woman's right to choose, even in the case of rape and incest.

why she believes teaching abstinence only sex ed works, when her own daughter is proof of it's failure.

why she fired a librarian because she didn't ban books Palin had issues with.

why she thinks global warming is not man-made, and how she plans to fix it.

why she sued the Bush administration in hopes of having polar bears removed from the endangered species list.

why she said community organizers have no real responsibility.

why she abused her power as governor to get her ex-brother in law fired from his job as state trooper.

Jim DeMint, Republican Shill, tries to defend Palin as again earmarks. Right. She just requested more earmarks per capita than any other governor in the US this year. And had a LONG record of aggressive earmark gobbling as a Mayor of Wasilla. But now she has seen the light, conveniently upon joining McCain's campaign.

I have a bridge to sell you too Mr. DeMint!

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122100927525717663.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

PER CAPITA, Palin requested TEN TIMES MORE money from the fed than did Obama. You Republicans are always distorting the truth again.

Why should each person in Alaska have 10 times more money than anyone else?

Greed.

John McCain was never a POW. In fact, he was working for the communists all along. I read it on a blog and then the MSM reported it as fact. Really, truly. If I read about it, it must be true.

Right?

C'mon! We are not that stupid. But everyone commenting here does not represent the majority of Americans that get their news in 3 second sound bites.

The lies wont matter if the fourth estate once again allows itself to be intimidated by the right wing and is too cowed to hold these liars accountable.
Right now I doubt the MSM idiots who allow themselves to be completely co-opted by crap like the correspondents dinner have the stones.
Were in big trouble.

The reason it is good for schools to teach young children about inappropriate touching or worse by adults is that, far too often, children are sexually abused by their own parents. That's why we can't just leave it up to parents. This is a serious issue and the negative impact of sex abuse is profound. Obviously, schools can't get into predicting which parents will abuse their children, so instruction for all children is the only possible option.

If any of you who denounce sex education for children don't understand the meaning of "age appropriate" in this context please go educate yourself about the proposed curricula before spouting off. Or perhaps you don't care that children are frequent victims of sex abuse.

There are many pedophiles. Ask the Republican Catholic priests.

Kids need to know when to feel, "Ugh, this old guy is a pervert. He's trying to do me dirty. I should stay away from him......"

No it doesn't and the press is to blame- Dionne. Matthews, Fox, NYTimes Dowd, Bill Mahr, etc. It has all become corporate controlled- show biz-comedy.

The "McPain" campaign has stooped to a new low with this ad on sex education. It IS just like Willy Horton and it IS just like the ad that did McCain in during the 2000 election campaign. Doesn't he remember how HE felt when such garbage was spread about him? Is his the kind of judgment we want of our next president? We've already lived through 8 years of government by an inept president and his buddy, Karl Rove, and we all know how that has turned out. Now we have McCain getting help from Mr. Rove. And this offensive ad is the work of the same guy who is responsible for the equally offensive ad attack on John McCain in 2000 that derailed his run for the presidency. I am still hoping the media will wake up, get a conscience, and speak up against out and out lying. We already know John McCain isn't going to do anything to stop the lying and the trash ads.

15 yards seems like a small penalty on this one.

McCain would rather win an election than protect children from pedophiles.

That's what this boils down to.

McCain has violated the Navy Code of Ethics (this isn't the first time). He is a man who once had honor, but who has allowed himself to become corrupted yet again.

Hey Bob Miller

Are you kidding me? Obama was the first african american voted as president for the Harvard Law Review. You think that the best law school in the world would just let that happen? in 1990 they knew he would run for president in 2008 so lets give him that post? Do you think him being in Columbia and Harvard was a fluke?

That is exactly what Reps do. When confronted with cold hard facts on their lies they change the subject or ask a question back to you. Never do they answer it straight. On April 24 2008, McCain said that he wanted to run a clean campaign. So for so Clean, yeah right. He is a joke.

Read his book he wrote in 2002 after he thought his political career was over. He admitted putting his personal ambition to be president over his local Arizona citizens. What a joke.

Palin is just going to point a finger and scream as loud as she can at the debates to mask her lack of intelligence.

America your empire is on the brink, vote for McPalin and its a slippery slope down

As a pediatrician, I am happy to see that Obama supported age-appropriate sex education from Kindergarten through 12th grade. I applaud the comments from parents stating they want to talk to their kids about this themselves. I wish all parents would do the same. However, the harsh reality is that most don't. Each child has the RIGHT to know about their own bodies and what is appropriate behavior. This issue is really about children's rights. As a pediatrician, I teach each of my patients at each of their visits age-appropriate information about themselves and I am glad to see a candidate that supports the schools doing the same.

So much for the straight talk express. It's now become the McCain Lie express. Is this how you will treat us after you win?

McCain is operating in a zone of immunity created by the initial reaction to Govern Palin. With an initial focus that was as much or more on tabloid rumors as it was on experience or policy, an environment was created that I think emboldens the McCain / Palin campaign to stretch (and ignore) the truth when the campaign talks about Obama and Biden. While the sins on the left were largely the doings of those outside the Obama campaign, he is tagged and all of us are left with a campaign fight that has dissolved in to the fog.

The governor from Alaska is a fraud and a liar. She had a person fired for refusing to fire her sister's ex husband. she supported the bridge to nowhere until it became she ran for governor and by then it had drawn the ire of John McCain of all people and then she was miraculously against the bridge to no where.

Yes her 17 year old daughter got knocked up even though she preaches abstinence only education. well we see how well abstinence only education works now doesn't it. Not even the teacher's daughter bothered to pay attention to what she was being told about not having sex. Why is it that when a republican (rich white Americans) children get pregnant it is no big deal and generally supported by the conservative right yet these same people routinely denounce the numerous pregnancies of inner city youths as a blight on society and a problem that needs to be addressed. Same when their kids get caught smoking pot, doing cocaine, etc, you get the picture.

The hypocrisy and lies of the republican party shall go silent no more. For years you have used race, fear, sexism, more fear, more racism, blatant racism, extreme racism to push your agenda that benefits 1% of the country at the expense of everyone else. We are not amused, and we are not scared, and we are not going to sit here and let you dictate to us what is going to happen. People should not be afraid of their government's, Governments should be afraid of their people

If the Republicans are now the party of God, I wonder how God feels about all the lies they keep telling?

The truth does not matter anymore b/c journalists do not consistently challenge campaigns on falsehoods. They simply report on issues as he-said, she-said. (This problem is not confined to campaign coverage, btw.)

When newspapers like yours and other media outlets do deign to take a comprehensive look at campaign claims, the effort is often relegated to a separate, special fact-check section. Fact-checking and making sure campaigns are not spreading lies should be built into the DNA of reporting. We used to call that public service.

Jon Stewart, a comedian, has become the leader in doing what news outfits should be doing -- showing clips of campaign surrogates and candidates saying one thing one day and then saying the opposite thing later as the political winds change.

That's public service. That's what they used to call journalism.

When the "Bridge to Nowhere" hit her desk, and it was completely and totally her responsibility, she killed the project. That is unvarnished and unarguable fact. When the buck stopped at her desk, the project was killed. Try to spin it however you want.

So Mr. Dionne, the question is really, "Does the truth matter to you, a veteran journalist?" It does not appear to.

You are right, it's not "false naivete" on your part; it's downright cynical and hypocritical campaigning for Obama.

it looks like palin has started to break up liberal media, just as religion did to bring down the roman empire.

Why would you be suprised?
The Republican party will continue to try and sell the American public "weapons of mass imagination" until we vote them out of office.

We know that Republicans are a bunch of established liars.

Why is everyone else surprised? Why does anybody believe all their lies?

Because they profess to love God more than than themselves, their country more than money. Shyatt.

The more the truth matters... the greater the incentives are to obscure it with propaganda.

People always want truth... they always want truth to matter. But if we think of truth as what is presented in the media... truth has become impossible to ascertain... too many interests vie to distort it.

Probably real knowledge only comes through local communities and networks of people that you can trust. For the majority of people discerning "truth" on the internet in the media is all but impossible... and we can almost say that is "by design."

If you gum up the abstract sources of truth people can only fall back on their social networks... and if social networks are conservative (churches, exclusive clubs) then they become the arbiters of truth, and if they are progressive (unions, community groups, whatever) then they become the arbiters of truth.

I should be writing an article, not commenting on an article. :-)

I can't believe that McCain attack add.

How can McCain be ahead in the polls, it's like 2004 Bush all over again?

Weird, no wonder the civilized world hates our country.

The bottom line is that Palin for it or against it she killed the brige to knowhere project. So I don't see the blatent deception.

Welcome to the sideshow known as the American elections. Complete with freaks of all kinds. PT Barnum would be impressed.

If I could ask Sarah Palin one question it would be this: "Let's say you end up as vice president and are able to outlaw abortion. After you find, arrest, and convict the doctor, would you consider the death penalty an appropriate punishment?"

Palin opened the door to animal analogies when she referred to her own self as a B****. She said the only difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull is lipstick. Sounds like she's calling herself and hockey moms female dogs.

"Question: is any kind of sex ed appropriate in kindergarten? Frankly, I thought this was the kind of thing better left to parents. "

How about. If someone tries to touch you... tell your parents or a teacher.

I think that is pretty important.

Listen i don't agree with something because Obama says it, but it appears that the conservatives will agree with anything that McCain says... even the LIES.

It's bad enough that McCain abandoned the "experience" issue with his pick of Palin, although that didn't really hold much water anyway. What is more troubling is that he has abandoned the "integrity" issue by not only tolerating the mischaracterizations and outright lies being spread by his campaign, but actively participating in them. Palin on the "bridge to nowhere?" She was for it until congress cancelled it, and then she kept the money anyway. Against earmarks? She hired lobbyists to get over 20 million for her small town. Fiscally responsible? She took a town with no debt and had it 23K in debt when she left office. Selling the airplane on ebay for a profit? Actually, the taxpayers took a half million dollar loss when it was sold to a broker. Fired the chef? Actually, just reassigned her to another job title, but she's still preparing meals for Palin's family. With every one of these untrue claims, McCain has been supportive and even repeated them while he chortles about "introducing her to Washington" (when he's not ogling her butt).

But wait! There's more! The state of Alaska actually passed a law requiring that rape victims be provided with the test kit at no charge, specifically because Mayor Palin and the Wasilla police chief she appointed wanted to charge the victims for the kits and the test. And after all, why should rape kits matter if she believes that rape victims should be required to carry a fetus that might have resulted from that act to term? The latest is the per diem scam that the previous governor (the one she replaced because he was so corrupt?) refused to allow people in his administration to use even if it was technically legal.

All of this, and in the first week. At first I thought that with Palin, the Republican machine had given us an attractively wrapped empty box. But as this goes on, I'm beginning to detect the scent of Moose poop.

So in answer to Mr. Dionne's question, yes, for some of us the truth still matters. But apparently, for the "values crowd," not so much.

The governor from Alaska supported the bridge to nowhere

BEFORE

she decided when running for governor that it would be prudent not to support it.

so to recap

SHE ACTUALLY VOTED FOR THE BRIDGE TO NOWHERE BEFORE SHE VOTED AGAINST THE BRIDGE TO NOWHERE

I am tired of the liberal side of the media. It doesn't seem like anybody wants
to report Obama's liberal record, nor his
past associates. A real spiritual awakening needs to take place in this country. Jesus Christ is the only answer, and He is coming back soon. Are you ready to meet Him?

McCain will win in November.....
Then after that moment the seas will boil, the earth will crack open, and I'll fall to my death in happiness knowing I won't be living under his presidency!!

Promote national security. Restore the draft.

The lies are a clear demonstration that McCain and Company have nothing positive to offer. The lies are a clear demonstration that McCain and Company are desperate. The lies are a clear demonstration that McCain and Company and a lot Republicans fee l that a black man running for President is both absurd and dangerous. They would field the same if Hillary Clinton was the Democratic man.

Folks, you can buy into the lies and deceits, vote for senile McCain and trailer park trash Palin and get more of the same, more of the same disrespect for the everyday common men, women and families.

Or, you be positive and optimistic and vote for Obama. You'll get the promise of a bright and health future your yourself, your children, their children and their children.

There is indeed an appropriate level of sex education for kinders - one does not call it sex ed and it is sad but true that you need to teach kids.

private parts are not for strangers to touch; we have some trusted clergy that took advantage of kids.

We have people that sue because some kinder boy kissed a kinder girl.

If it does not happen in your area, count your blessings but it does happen you read about it.

they now have a database of pedophiles but it does little good if the kids do not know what abuse is.

Simple put the kid does not even have to be touched - they have websites that love to have pics of new kids. Obama having small children is closer to this that a man that ran away from his kids; I'd bet Palin too has some honest thoughts on this.

Mc is again out of touch and should be more sensitive with teen daughters.

It's the same disgusting lies and distortions Republicans have been spewing for years. What makes it wore this time is that John McCain is doing it. He claimed to be better than this. Now we know.

More of the same old slimy politics that got the worst president ever elected. Palin's nomination was a desperate move of a failing campaign. Reckless and impulsive. McCain's adoption of the classic Rove Campaign shows that his claim of steadfast moral character is bogus.

Shame on John McCain. He mist not be allowed to succeed.

As always, these threads are filled with ad-hom and distortions from the so-called "conservatives." Palin X'd the Bridge to Nowhere TWO YEARS after Congress decided to not fund it further and she KEPT the money. Alaska gets more earmarks per capita than any state in the Union even though it has a FOUR BILLION dollar surplus from oil money.

Calling it the "Bridge to Nowhere" is exposing your bias. It was a bridge connecting the airport to the city, and yes, nobody lived at the airport. You can debate the price, but no, you prefer to label and score cheap points. So, I have little sympathy with your whining about the other side doing the same. In fact, if those are your falsehoods, you don't have much to complain about.

They don't need to explain the nuances of the planned tax increase or sex-ed to small children, those are both bad ideas. You must be confusing your embarrassment with naivete.

So I keep hearing that Obama has a hard time getting support from blue collar workers.... What exactly does that mean?

Not educated?
Lower socio-economic-status?
Rednecks?
Can someone help me figure it out???

Thanks.

I am seeing that perhaps the American people have just not suffered quite enough yet Things may have to get even worse before,as Dennis Kucinich put it, Wake UP America!

This should go into your print edition regular column.

"And if we are going to say, well, we cannot depend on parents to basically tell their kids - scream if anyone fondles you - what else about parents can we not depend on."

If it weren't for the fact that parents can (and unfortunately sometimes are) pedophiles, this logic would work great.

If you think it is such a liberal idea to help protect children from sex offenders, then why did Mitt Romney maintain a very similar program when he was governor of Massachusetts?

I can't believe you really want to argue that it is wrong to teach children not to be sexually abused. Have you read anything about this program? It actually gives more local control to schools--another thing I thought Republicans were for!

My response if I were Obama would be an ad that I do myself, starting with sitting on a barstool and then sliding off and walking while I talk to the camera.

"I'm Barack Obama. Recently my opponent accused me of voting to fund sex education for Kindergartners. What he didn't tell you is that such funding was not to teach about sex or contraception, but rather to teach your children how to watch out for predators and to immediately tell an adult if they experience inappropriate touching either from an adult or another child. I'm sure John McCain thinks we should teach kids be on the lookout for sexual predators, just as I do and you do. I'm sure he regrets making such claims about me. It's a shame that he has allowed himself to be led down this path of lies by his campaign staff. Call John McCain and tell him to stand by his promise to run a campaign free of Washington lies. I'm Barack Obama and I approved this message."

Keep digging....you might actually find something to prove that Palin is actually a Politician in human's clothing afterall. You say you want a revolution? Hold tight to your Hippy-yuppie's puppies ways....ones coming! And there isn't anything you can do about it, the more you dig for dirt, the more our pig with lipstick feels at home!

My mother is a prosecutor who works specifically with juveniles and deals with kids who are molested constantly. One is never too young to learn what is inappropriate touching. My mom taught me this when I was very young. It is completely naive to assume parents are responsible enough to do this themselves. My mom often deals with parents who refuse to believe their trusted friend, neighbor, spouse, etc... were capable of doing something like this to their children. I can't believe anyone would have the audacity to suggest that simply educating children on this subject is inappropriate. News flash: Children are molested everyday. They need to be taught it is wrong. Why is this even debatable?!

After all of their ranting against moral relativsim, the GOP has truly become the Post-Modern party.

Thank you for dealing with this -- the media is gobbling up all these mistruths without making an issue of these outright falsehoods and lies.

This is Goebbels Nazi methodology -- John McCain is embracing the foulest, lowest, most dishonorable campaign tactics.

What a low, dishonerable man John McCain is demonstrating himself to be.

Palin was for the bridge when she was running for governor in 2006.

It is clear. She is claiming this is a lie? That denial itself would be a lie.

She only killed it when it proved unpopular and Alaska was becoming a symbol of excess pork barrel spending.

Yet she kept the $223 million that was originally intended for the bridge because she got permission to spend it for other purposes. Still, Alaskans were enjoying more earmarks per capita than anyone else.

How did Palin spend the money? One example is spending $25 million on a road to the empty beach where the bridge would have gone. The reason for building the road? Because the money would otherwise have to be returned to the federal government.

So, therefore she clung to federal money and wasted large sums of it, just so it wouldn't have to be returned to the fed.

All this while the US is in a 10 trillion dollar budget deficit (don't confuse this with the trade deficit, which is "only" in the high hundreds of billions).....

Country first? Doesn't seem so to me.....Check the facts for yourself.

"I am tired of the liberal side of the media. It doesn't seem like anybody wants
to report Obama's liberal record, nor his
past associates. A real spiritual awakening needs to take place in this country. Jesus Christ is the only answer, and He is coming back soon. Are you ready to meet Him?"

I sorry what liberal bias are you referring too? could you please clarify how reporting things like THE FACTS are showing a liberal bias? When the governor of Alaska LIES and DISTORTS and FABRICATES her RECORDS and someone dares to find out what really happened that must be a liberal bias.

Or were you referring to the extremely right wing conservative entertainment channel called the FAUX NEWS CHANNEL which claims to present news but is actually passing highly opinionated crap to the sheep of this country who believe it hook line and sinker. This FAUX NEWS CHANNEL is apparently where more sheep get their news from so i would hardly say there is a liberal media bias. it is more like there is a RIGHT-WING REPUBLICAN AGENDA TO CONTROL THE NEWS is what it sounds like to me. PITY MOST REPUBLICANS DON'T UNDERSTAND JOURNALISM VERY WELL.

"Calling it the "Bridge to Nowhere" is exposing your bias."

What bias is it exposing, EnlightenedOne? The people who initially dubbed it the bridge to nowhere were those who mocked it and said it deserved no funding, like Jim DeMint.

Palin and others who SUPPORTED the bridge argued that it shouldn't be called a bridge to nowhere. Here is what she said in support of the bridge: "We need to come to the defense of Southeast Alaska when proposals are on the table like the bridge and not allow the spinmeisters to turn this project or any other into something that's so negative."

I guess the reason this is so confusing is because Palin first said we shouldn't call it the bridge to nowhere. But now that she's running for VP, she can't wait to call it the bridge to nowhere. Since she now refers to it that way, I don't know what kind of bias it shows for us to refer to it similarly.

I wonder why Obama doesn't flat out call McCain a liar who will probably continue the deceptive practices of the George Bush years. There is enough evidence to substantiate this personal attack.

This is a most fascinating string of comments. McCain's ads are horrible. The attitude at their convention lacked respect to the Democrats. I wonder why it is that the low-blow tactics are enjoyed by all those Christian (!?! ) folks. I simply cannot understand what is confusing about this: just about everything in our country completely sucks right now - why isn't EVERYONE on Obama's side? He's brilliant, has great ideas and is young and healthy. The Republicans have shattered everything over the last 8 years - let's just get it right this time, people. Anything else will cause this country further embarassment.
And the reason why Alaska's stats on rape and pregnancy and so on are so high is due to the remote villages - not the more densely populated areas. I live in AK.
And really, folks, do you think that Barack Obama, or anyone for that matter, wants to give sex ed to kindergartners? I would be hard pressed to believe that anyone buy into that. And if they do - well, they belong on the short bus.

the answer to your question is no. To the radical right, the truth is no longer important, if it ever was. As log as their candidate is correct on choice, gays, and taxes....well, after all, that is what is important, right? I truly believe there is no lie that Palin/mccain can say that will matter. The truth is not important. How sad, do they even pay attention to their bible?

The McCain/Palin campaign, now being run
by Karl Rove, is attempting to "swiftboat"
Senator Obama with daily lies/smears/
slanders. They have lied about Senator
Obama's tax plan and keep sending false
emails hoping to catch the "low-information
voters" who believe whatever the GOP tells
them to believe. They have attacked
Senator Obama's experience although he
has an extensive resume:

http://digg.com/2008_us_elections/Legis
lative_Experience_Senator_Barack_Obama_D_

Now, with the new McCain/Palin ad
attempting to show Senator Obama as a
pervert, sex offender, this is the last
straw. This is a vile and untruthful ad
which has now been added to the list of
lies they have told.

When is the press and mainstream media
going to start calling them on this? Are
they holding back because they are owned
by large media conglomerations now? How
does this help the American people and our
democracy when we no longer have a free
press in America?

E. J. Dionne - thank you for speaking the truth in your article. You are a great journalist!

I've got to ask if the Washington Post is actually a donor to the Obama campaign in monetary funds or just with ink? I'm a religious reader of the WP because I like to hear dissenting opinions, but this is unbelievable.

You would think a reputable newspaper would like to have some different viewpoints, but not the WP. Ever since Bob Novak went down, there have been a smattering of articles from George Will and Michael Gerson. But recently all we have seen is a barrage of articles from Ruth Marcus, Eugene Robinson, Sebastian Mallaby and E.J. Dionne. These five Op Ed writers just beat drum on a daily basis.

When has a newspaper outlived its own usefulness when it doesn't publish contrary to the one's it supports and worse, knowing suppresses or pushes to the back pages information that might harm their candidate of choice?

Are they in a battle with the NYT to be the most liberal paper in the country or does it just me?

Teaching 6-year-olds to recognize and avoid pedophiles like Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla) *before* they're dragged into the GOP cloakroom and molested IS VIRTUALLY THE SAME THING AS Scary Leering Black Man{tm} Barack Obama passing copies of Ebony Hustler around a kindergarten classroom at snack break. There's really no difference at all.

Anyone who disagrees with John McCain on this is obviously a 'far left' lunatic.

breaking news....

palin may be a robot.

story developing....

Is there some reason this story is not on the front page along with other fact based articles? This is the world we venture into every election cycle where Republicans are allowed to distort facts and lie, and anyone who points it out is sent to the op-ed pages. Ridiculous.

You are right. I've come to the conclusion that in this campaign truth does not matter anymore. I cannot believe what McCain/Palin are getting away with and I have lost all respect for McCain. We are looking at a man who sold his soul and lost his integrity and ethics.

It's apparent that the Republican Party can't exist without the type of scummy dishonesty described above.

And this makes sense. The party is the most wealthy 2% of the nation using a billion dollar propaganda machine to fool the half of the nation with IQs below 100 into voting against the best interests of this half of the nation.

I love how low information women voters have jumped on the Palin/McCain boat to nowhere.

Obama should be cannonized as a saint, right? Or at the very least let the American people crown him our truest and most precious coming of all the heavenly hosts as our long waited for Messiah... right?

We can demonize the Republicans. We can call them pigs and wait! We can call them pigs with lipstick! Ah Ha! Now, that is what cuts the wheat from the chaff!

Get real! Obama is a man on a power trip and so is Biden. So is John McCain and Sarah Palin. That is POLITICS.

However, Obama is a wolf in sheep's cover if you ask me. He is one mean man. I think he'd sell out his mother for his own good.. oh wait.. I think he did that before she died.

yeah.. and alllll those jobs in the six figures that eluded Obama so he could return to Chicago and be a community organizer..

Okay.. someone give me credible proof that he ever was offered even one of those jobs..? Oh wait.. you can't. He tired, and nobody.. get it? NOBODY wanted him!

He went to Chicago because he was a bust everywhere else.

Finding himself? The man should look in a mirror, call the reflection a pig. Because only a pig would have made the comments Obama has made.

I have long considered myself a moderate Christian. My husband, the retired veteran, it a bit more polarized than I. But this evening, as we were discussing the issues in this campaign. We were completely and utterly appalled by the latest McCain ad.
Background: My hubby and I are a dual working couple( I too took a pay cut, but so that I could work closer to my kids & home). We have discussed various AGE appropriate issues with our two children, but it was not until last week during the first week of school that "sex" crept or shall I say CRASHED into our lives. Out went my pie in the sky aspirations of gently working “our way” into this discussion. Yes we'd discussed inappropriate touching and the like but it was not until my son, new to kindergarten mention a friend said something which we thought we had a few years left to target our discussion. It was then that I realized that although it is our RESPONSIBILITY to teach our children the appropriate behavior and information about all things in life, that not all families approach life in the same manner if at all.

This goes brut forced discussion goes to the heart of the legislation that is referenced in the McCain ad. Senator Obama and the others voting with him, were trying to prevent parents like myself from suffering the blunt force realization that unfortunately many children suffer the abuse at the hands of others, but if the parent is the abuser, than perhaps school is the only place that some children can receive the information about appropriate/inappropriate behavior and real threats that face all of our children. As a parent is not only your right, but also your responsibility to preview the information that will be discussed with your children.

But, one of the fundamental foundations of our American society is that it is the government’s RESPONSIBILITY to protect the children at ALL TIMES, especially when parents are not equipped or have no desire to do so!!! We teach our kids “there are consequence good and bad for everything you do, so choose to do the right thing”. But for some children, they do not have this guidance or leadership in their lives. So on behalf of those children we are writing this. And this is one that statement that my husband (with sad face) and I agree- SHAME ON YOU SENATOR MCCAIN--- You are no longer the maverick we thought you to be!!!!

Jesus Christ is the answer? Are you kidding me? The answer? Ok, let's all do nothing and wait for him..........yeahhh...
hello - it's called Personal Responsibility.

oh...really is just more evidence that the Republicans are running AGAINST Obama. They have nothing good to say about their candidates or their policies. It's just smear and lies all the way to the White House.

I have no idea how McCain, should he win, thinks he will unite this country after this campaign.

"Are they in a battle with the NYT to be the most liberal paper in the country or does it just me?"

No that's because you watch the FAUX NEWS CHANNEL and are confused about WHAT FAIR AND BALANCED actually means. You see words are serious and have repercussions when spoken which is something that the FAUX NEWS CHANNEL and the REPUBLICAN PARTY and KARL ROVE and THE PRESIDENT and DICK CHENEY and JOHN MCCAIN'S CAMPAIGN don't seem to understand.

Are people clueless?

Yes there is age appropriate sex education for kindergarten. I do it as a doctor all the time in telling children that strangers should not be touching them in inappropriate ways. That is very appropriate sex education and prevention of sexual abuse. I am amazed at some of the dumb comments on this blog, like implying that the sex education that would be appropriate for adults is being advocated for children. That is the lie and distortion of the McCain-Palin campaign.

Like it or not, parents are only a part of the way children learn about the world. Children get more sex education during a normal night on television then they do from their parents, therefore, it is important to make a positive difference at a young age, with age appropriate sex education.

I voted for McCain in the presidential primary in my state. Now, I am ashamed of that vote.

I surmise that Karl Rove and GOP strategists have concluded that juvenile temper tantrums, bald-faced lies and probably election day chicanary at polling stations will win the election for McCain-Palin.

Mr. Straight Talk Express and his handlers have lost their souls. So too has the United States of America, I'm afraid, judging from recent polling data. I'll be ashamed to be an American If McCain-Palin take this election. There is little doubt they will stoop to anything -- anything -- to win. American exceptionalism will be dead and the country will suffer. Lost souls.

oh.. really

Have you seriously not heard of the "pig with lipstick" expression?

You want truth, I think our leaders have decided to liquidate the United States the pieces are worth more than the whole. It was no accident that McCain picked a Alaskan separatist for VP.

Anonymous posted...
"I sorry what liberal bias are you referring too? could you please clarify how reporting things like THE FACTS are showing a liberal bias? When the governor of Alaska LIES and DISTORTS and FABRICATES her RECORDS and someone dares to find out what really happened that must be a liberal bias."

Anonymous: Omission is just as bad if not worse than writing articles with a liberal slant. The WP OpEd page is a liberal love fest. Where are the pro-McCain writers providing some editorials on the lack of experience or the holes in Obama's economic plan? You'd never know they were out there by reading the Washington Post.

Hear all sides of an argument then make a decision. Don't just submerge yourself with the WP staff writers telling you what to thing. 'Cause something tells me they've got an agenda to push.

Can someone define the blue collar workers Obama is having a hard time gaining support from?

What exactly is the definition?

Sadly, the only person running for orifice that isn't lying seems to be Ron Paul. But don't take my word on it, go to YouTube and type in his name.

Overall though, I 100% agree with the tone of this article and most all the comments. It's really been nice to see so many well-considered arguments here, especially the international comments. I hope we can be a collective vision for change!

a blue collar worker is a traditional a skilled labor trade such as machinist, or factory worker, or any other average job that the average person used to work in before they were all shipped to mexico & china

So women are all moving over to McCain's camp since Sarah Palin's name was announced? Who have you been talking to? I'm a woman, and a Mom and I wouldn't vote for McCain/Palin if you tortured me and made me do it. I've been an Obama supporter for over a year now. Never could stand Hillary actually.

As far as sex education in kindergarten goes, the key word is "appropriate" for their grade level. I think sex ed is very important and should be taught in schools, as someone else mentioned many parents mean to, but get nervous and just don't do it. Sex ed in kindergarten I would imagine usually amounts to discussion of inappropriate touching and kids are usually told that is anywhere on their bodies that is covered by a bathing suit. Is that so bad? It's really stupid how some folks think sex ed is going to go out and make kids have sex, that simply is not the truth. I believe if you compared statistics you would find that sex ed decreases teen pregnancies, and other problems. Sarah Palin believes in teaching only abstinence programs-well,we see how well that worked for her teen daughter, don't we?

I urge everyone to watch the debates very, very carefully. Open your minds and really listen to what is being said. Do some research on the candidates. Go to www.fightthesmears.com if you are worried about whether or not Obama is Muslim (never was) or other lies McCain and his bunch are trying to spread.

I look at it this way, on one side I have a magna cum laude graduate from Harvard Law School and on the other side I have a man who graduated number 894 out of 899 graduates from the Naval Academy. Wow-talk about being close to the bottom! Then candidate number one goes on to be on the Harvard Law Review. The second candidate? Well, he crashed not one (August 1958) not two (June 1960), not three (November 1965) not four (July 1967) but FIVE planes (October 1967). To me that screams of incompetence! It is simply logic who gets my vote-the first candidate, Obama.

Haven't you all had enough of our country being destroyed for the last 8 years because we've had the village idiot for President? Do you really want 4 more years like that?

There should be fact-checking before ads go on television. There are a lot of people who do not read or listen to objective material and only gather knowledge from TV. That is unfortunate.

why surprised ?
Just straight from Karl's playbook.
Lies and repeat lies, soon enough it'll be taken as " truth ".
Worked in 2004, why not now ?

It's clear from reading these comments that the only unified message folks on the left have is, "Republicans are liars! Liars! Liars!"

If they're lies, expose them, don't just shout about it like juveniles. At worst, in this case, it's an exaggeration. But if you read the actual wording of the bill it does allow for sex education and teaching about AIDS/HIV as early as K.

Very well said Edzo1, all of the sudden Mccain's trying to make the election about earmarks instead of more important issues.

I guess he's also trying to make the campaign about character when, he clearly has none.

And Johnny, Mccain is clearly misleading regardless of whether his statements are factual or not. I guess you're fine with being manipulated as long as it's done via "facts".. follow Mccain and Bush and Rove just like all the other sheep spitting the same bullsh** as you.

My daughter (who just began kindergarten last week) went through a five-day (voluntary) safety program in which she was warned against predators and how to fight off if someone touched her in any way that made her feel unsafe or tried to take her somewhere that she didn't want to go. WHAT the bad person would purportedly do was never discussed, things were kept very simple and general, taught by a public safety officer. I suspect this was the "K" part (with parent permission/notification) of the "K-12" education that was being referred to in the bill. I am astonished McCain would stoop so low as to make a blatantly false accusation of what could arguably called child abuse. The sad thing is, I feel the truth really doesn't matter anymore. It certainly doesn't to McCain.

As long as the American people buy outright lies, cave to campaign tactics designed to exploit their fears, trance-out over images instead of using their left-brains to analyze and understand, and remain bystanders instead of active participants in their own political process, purveyors of lies and hate will continue to hold sway and win election after election.

Rove gets it - so do McCain and Schmidt. They get it because America doesn't.

"No that's because you watch the FAUX NEWS CHANNEL and are confused about WHAT FAIR AND BALANCED actually means. You see words are serious and have repercussions when spoken which is something that the FAUX NEWS CHANNEL and the REPUBLICAN PARTY and KARL ROVE and THE PRESIDENT and DICK CHENEY and JOHN MCCAIN'S CAMPAIGN don't seem to understand."

----

The reason the Fox (FAUX) News Channel is so popular is because it is the only news channel telling the other side of the story. CNN, MSNBC and the network news cable trod along because there is a glut of liberal talking heads out there saturating the market. I can't stand Rush Limbaugh, but the same can be said with him. The reason he makes so much coin is he is the one of the few pro-right voices out there on the radio and the amount of listeners support it. With that being said, I wouldn't listen to him if my radio only had one station.

As I stated above, I don't believe in submerging yourself in any one side and thinking you have all the facts. The Washington Post is taking all objectivity out of reporting and worse inundating its readers with writers all with the same viewpoint and no dissenting opinions.

This is dangerous.

Sarah Palin proudly announces that the only thing distinguishing her from a b1tch pitbull is 'lipstick'. Result? Thunderous applause from Republicans.

In a speech, Barack Obama uses an extremely common aphorism for window-dressing ("lipstick on a pig"). Doesn't mention Palin at all. Result? Endless whining from Republicans.

Maybe Sarah Palin could give us a list detailing which lower life-forms (apart from Republicans) we're allowed to mention in our public discourse without offending her delicate pitbull sensibilities. Of course, that would mean she'd actually have to come out of Dick Cheney's bunker and TALK TO THE PRESS...

Hello, Republicanss not the press that is "liberal," as you say. It is us people that your party has been screwing over for as long as I can remember.

Actually, I think of myself as a conservative Democrat.

The Republicans in this administration have NOT been conservative. They have been RADICAL - starting an unnecessary war, leading to more than 4,120 American deaths so far, and more than 100,000 Iraqui deaths. And plunging the country into a 10 trillion dollar deficit.

It is NOT THE PRESS. It is the people who know the truth who are against you Republicans.

Unless you Republicans abolish FREEDOM OF THE PRESS, you will not prevent Americans from finding out the truth........

Birukitty posts "So women are all moving over to McCain's camp since Sarah Palin's name was announced? Who have you been talking to?"

No need to talk to anybody. There are these things called "polls" where pollsters talk to voters and see who their going to vote for. Over the past week (since Palin's been announced) they've seen a substantial increase in the amount of women who are voting for McCain.

I can't believe I'm explaining this....

To further clarify the irrationality of this article and subsequent parroting comments, we can address this:

"Is McCain against teaching little kids to beware of sexual predators?" Commenters have also made similar comments along the lines of all this bill did was to teach kids to not touch each other etc...

A less charitable observor could legitimately describe the above comments by the author and commenters as lies.

This is because this Bill S.B. 99 in no way makes that happen or keeps it from happening. No Illinois enate bill is or was needed for such a teaching about inppropriate touching to take place in early grades.

A fundamental misunderstanding of what bills are and are meant to do is held by the author and others. This bill's actual real life impact is clearly described at the Illinois General assembly site thusly:

"Board does not currently have staff to design such curriculum and will have to contract out for its development. A curriculum development contract and distribution could cost between $100 and $500 thousand."

From the Illinois Legislature web site,

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?GAID=3&GA=93&DocNum=0099&DocTypeID=SB&SessionID=3&LegID=734&SpecSess=&Session=

Bills such as these provide funds for education departments to use as salary or support for faculty and associates. Obama comes from this same elite academia, having been a lecturer for a time, and has friends, supporters and allies there.

This bill simply provides money for denizens of the ivory tower education departments.

And who would such people be? People like Obama's long time friend, associate and fund raiser William Ayres who is in an Education Department at an Illinois University.

This was simply a bill to help out Obama's friends and allies, such as Ayres, to cotinue their elite ivory tower lifestyles.

In no way was this bill necessary for warning children about inappropriate touching. That could have and has been done without any such legislation.

The ivory tower elite lifestyle of Education professors, on the other hand, relies quite heavily on these sort of government handouts.

...you forgot to point out sarah's degree in journalism in your education lay out!

I wish there were more columns, articles and editorials like this piece by Mr. Dionne. There was a time in America that no national politician would dare lie to the people so boldly and so often as John McCain does in the ads being broadcast on his behalf and in his stump speeches. How did we come to this sorry place in history?

It is no surprise that a politician with the all-consuming personal ambition of John McCain is untroubled by ethical considerations in lying repeatedly about his opponent and about his own record. What has changed is the confidence that someone like McCain now has that there be no retribution from the voters for his dishonesty.

It seems to me that there are only two possible explanations for a deceptive politician's feeling immune from public outrage about his lies. Either the American public, symptomatic of diminished personal ethics in so many aspects of life today, no longer cares if a candidate tells the truth, or the typical low information voter is completely unaware that the candidate is lying.

I would bet that it is primarily the latter situation in which the voter does not fully appreciate how duplicitous the McCain campaign has become. If so, much of the blame for this voter ignorance rests with the regrettable inattention and indifference of the mainstream media. The front pages of our nation's newspapers and the nightly network news shows shrink from identifying a lie as a lie. Even the editorials, if they address the problem at all, use euphemisms rather than honestly calling Mr. McCain a liar.

This is why Mr. Dionne's column is rare and all the more appreciated.

It would be wise to not call the teaching of kids to avoid and to report predators and pedophiles "sex education."

That's not teaching about sex, that is teaching about how to recognize, avoid and report sexual abuse. Sex education is appropriate for older children. Teaching how to avoid abusive predators is appropriate for younger children.

The ad isn't directly on point, unfortunately, just like Obama's repeatedly saying electing McCain would yield four more years of Bush/Cheney. Both are obfuscations of reality in attempts to paint the other side broadly.

The problem is that Dems get outraged only at Republican spin, and that Repubs only get outraged at Democratic spin. So if the majority of the people posting here are Democrats (and they clearly are), they are going to see the spin as the lies of the Republicans, but they are going to support as the spin by the Democrats as "the truth." Not very objective, is it?

And that is exactly what is happening here. Choir, you are celebrating with yourself. America's not really listening.

"Hear all sides of an argument then make a decision. Don't just submerge yourself with the WP staff writers telling you what to thing. 'Cause something tells me they've got an agenda to push."

i get my news from a variety of sources from the pages at google to npr to conservative talk radio to local newspapers. on the other your conservative talk show buddies are far worse than anything that appears in print or online. Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh & Bill O'Reilly routinely distort and slant the news into opinion and fiction. so i guess if the washington post feels the need to gloss over the already inflated coverage of the republican party by conservative talk radio then i have no problem. when talk radio learns to be fair and balanced i suspect the newspapers will as well

There are many pedophiles. Ask the Republican Catholic priests.
Kids need to know when to feel, "Ugh, this old guy is a pervert. He's trying to do me dirty. I should stay away from him......"

"There was a time in America that no national politician would dare lie to the people so boldly and so often as John McCain does in the ads being broadcast on his behalf and in his stump speeches."
--------------
Bill Clinton looking straight into the camera while addressing America states: "I did not have sex with that woman".

Hate to break the news to you, but most Catholics are democrats.

If Obama does win, let's hope he grows a spine. Saying he's going to take public financing, and then not taking it- not good. Saying he will not let the Bush administration wire tap us, and then voting to let the Bush administration wire tap us- not good. Saying he will take the troops out of Iraq, and then saying he will just take the troops out of Iraq, and put them into Afghanistan- not good. Finally, saying he is apposed to drilling in pristine places, and then saying he is willing to entertain discussion of drilling in environmentally sensitive places- not good at all.

Well, what do you expect? When our own media outlets, be they newspapers or websites or cable channels, don't do their part in bringing to the public square all the mistruths? It should be your patriotic duty *and* obligation to refute or support claims made by BOTH parties during a campaign. It should be the first topic you mention, either on the broadcast or above the fold in an actual newspaper or at the top on your website, pointing out, clearly and regularly, exactly where and when candidates are lying.

The more I see and hear of McCain/Palin, the more I think both of them and the party in general as completely unAmerican.

Senator Obama's studied elocution skill tells any reasonable party that he can now CHANGE his position on anything and then claim he hadn't changed from the outset. Such a character defect needs another decade or so in the political trenches before he'll be ready to trust on anything important in our lives. Now he is telling us President Bush is following HIS advice. Is that megalomania and if not, what is such a habit ?

McCain is no hero. Heros don't lie to their constituents, nor the people you want to convince to join your movement. Politicians lie, frequently. But heros don't

This brazen campaign raises the issue of whether we have a free press in America anymore. It should be subject to the most intense and critical scrutiny by the media. Doesn't the willingness to lie strip away the cloak of moral self-righteousness with which the Republican party clothes itself? Palin delenda est.

It's a matter of fact that only the uneducated and the mentally ill buy into the socialist propaganda. It's also a matter of fact that socialists hate conservatives and, of course, the truth. However, who cares? Real people -- the majority --, will vote for John McCain. So what?

I know many smart CAtholics. I am referring to the fundamentalist Catholics and any fundamentalists at all. Usually those who cry out the loudest for piety are the ones who are have go to confession a lot for their secret sins.

We know that Republicans are a bunch of established liars.
Why is everyone else surprised? Why does anybody believe all their lies?
Because they profess to love God more than than themselves, their country more than money. Shyatt.

In the week before the election, I think we can expect the McCain campaign to trot out some white prostitutes, all claiming to have had sex with Obama in the past few months.

Is this really surprising?

In case anyone missed it, John McCain sold what was left of his soul when he picked his Religious Extremist OIL state Global Warming Denying VP.

Palin not only objects to any form of sex ed EVER, but opposes abortion in cases of rape or incest. EVERY GOP stereotype is true. The GOP is about bowing to the Religious Right, Big Oil, Big Business, Lying (Bridge to Nowhere? You were for it, liar) and Greed period the end.

Since the McCain campaign will not allow Sarah Palin to address any questions, then reporters should not cover their campaign. This is ridiculous! What is wrong with the reporters? Do your job! Put pressure on the McCain campaign. Either they allow her to be questioned or they don't get the coverage. Point Blank.

I don't buy into any Republican neofascist propaganda. How's that for name calling, just like you calling us "socialists." Putting labels on people. You say you are real people. What about us?

Before sociopaths kill their victims, they always de-humanize them by not thinking of them as people. This was also the mindset of the Nazi regime, indisputably a sociopathic regime. By calling Democrats not "real people," you are falling into this line of thinking. Sociopathy, or antisocial personality disorder, is a mental illness officially recognized by psychiatrists. Perhaps it is you who are losing your sanity?

"Anonymous" (above) has suggested a script for an effective response ad that should turn the McCain knee-jerk sex ed ad on its head. Obama cannot let them get away with this smear attack - we can't afford 4 more years of Rove et al in the White House!

United States of America, is it a third world or what? Living far away from there, it is unbelievable that a nation like US of A which produced and nurtured such brilliant minds and led the world by example, has got almost everything wrong! Now, we hear that in the 2008 run-up for Presidential elections, there is a 'tie' between McCain and Obama and the push for McCain comes from his VP nominee!! You do not look for 'wmd' else where; it is right in your courtyard. Wake up people.

I wasn't making a morality judgment by stating most Catholics are Democrats, just a fact.

I know this 'cause I am Catholic...as was JFK and RFK and so is Teddy Kennedy, John Kerry, and Joe Biden

....and so is Pelosi ....at least 'til the Archbishop refused communion to her.

To be fair, I learned to read at age 4 and continued reading smaller books at age 5. So under McCain's ad, I would technically be ready for the sex-ed class, no?

"Learning about sex before learning to read...?"

So, yeah. Cool beans. ;-)

President John F. Kennedy, standing by the Brandenburg Gate during a critical moment of the Cold War, declared: "ich bin ein Berliner” (I am a Berliner); a challenge to the Berlin Wall, the Soviet affront to freedom!

Imagine if Mr. Obama’s recent request had been granted. Imagine Mr. Obama standing by the Brandenburg Gate declaring “You can put lipstick on a pig, [but] It's still a pig” (Sarah Palin is a pig)!

"It's a matter of fact that only the uneducated and the mentally ill buy into the socialist propaganda. It's also a matter of fact that socialists hate conservatives and, of course, the truth. However, who cares? Real people -- the majority --, will vote for John McCain. So what"

Huh? The conservative truth - lets see which would that be, that the earth was created 5000 years ago and science is just plain wrong, or there is no global warming just bigger storms and melting icecaps or there were WMD's in Iraq we just didnt find them?

Haha...I will say the one thing conservatives are extremely good at is fabricating clever little falsehoods to mask their own idiocy.

These guys are out there now; reajjly in the ozone. Anything goes. If there was ever any doubt that McCaine would be Bush 2.0, that doubt is now gone. The world learned all to well about the effectiveness of the 'big lie' in last century Germany (Rove isn't the first to figure this out). We all also know how that ended. These tactics by Bush, and even more so now by McBush, are un-American and must be rejected.

Does it matter what our nations newpapers print on the top half of the front pages??

The MSM/WAPO could choose to write stories about the good things McCain has done or maybe the would choose to write something about the good things Obama has done.

But what they actually write about are things which help their own agenda (no real attempt to hide this) and stories that shed a bad light on, in this case the McCain campaign.

Certainly they could have written a hundred different stories about McCain in todays paper. But what you'll see are about five articles about Palin. None of which will be particalarly flatering. So you ask does the truth matter? Well I ask the WAPO. Does it? Because certainly balanced reporting doesn't matter on this publication. And apparently, neither do issues that really matter to most Americans, because the WAPO chooses not to write about those things. They're too busy trying to beat down Palin.

TV viewers aren't getting the facts because TV journalists have been failing to put McCain's and Palin's speeches into context.

On Tuesday, CNN aired John McCain live at a campaign stop repeating his claim that Barack Obama is against offshore drilling and nuclear power. The fact is that nuclear power has been a part of Obama's energy plan and that Obama is interested in a compromise on offshore drilling. Did CNN's Rick Sanchez give his viewers the facts? No. A print journalist would have inserted a paragraph after the quote explaining the discrepancy.

It's obvious that McCain's campaign has been driven by focus groups -- he says what focus groups want to hear and doesn't let something pesky like truth get in his way. Why is it that TV anchors are failing to correct McCain's lies and half-truths?

The newspaper industry is in its death throes and if TV anchors fail to carry on journalism's proud tradition of questioning those in power and correcting their lies and half-truths, this country will be a poorer place.

Truth appears to be the first casualty of a desperate campaign, and a disregard for truth has long been a Republican hallmark. Time, unfortunately, for Obama to dive into that gutter and drown the opposition in the same sort of muck they fling with impunity. He can win NO OTHER way, folks.

Per Alan | September 10, 2008 2:06 AM

Alan, there is clearly something wrong with you. Your post was logical, rational, objective and analytical.

We can't have that. Differences in opinion must now be lies!!! Not only that, they are the biggest worst lies of all time!!!!!!!!

I appreciate Dionne trying to do his bit to get the truth out, but really, is anyone still that shocked when we find out Repubs are lying? I can't continue to work up the requisite moral outrage. It's exhausting.

What's scary is that less intelligent voters buy into this propaganda and other fear mongering orchestrated by Rove (and Fox).

Plus, you can't attack Dionne and people like him for being liberal... he's doing his job.. you know, reporting. He's trying to present information to readers, not back Obama. Journalists SHOULD be writing about blatant misrepresentation of character.

It just so happens that most of the lies are coming from one particular side. But to be fair, Mccain isn't just misrepresenting himself, he's misrepresenting Obama.

But I guess when the republicans attack the media so much, maybe the media has, and SHOULD bite back.

Sorry, but if the headline/lead to this story is anywhere near the content, this has to be the stupidest piece ever written.

I know, let's follow it with: "Does the Term "Murder" Mean Shiat Today?", or, "What's the Use of Virginity?", or the WaPo's personal favorites "Who Gives a Fark About Anything, Okay?", and finally, "If It Makes Money, What's Wrong With IT?"

To quote from this website:
http://www.ffrf.org/timely/pedo1992.php

"The offices of the national monthly Freethought Today out of Madison, Wisconsin… has surveyed reported cases in North America during the years of 1988 and 1989 and found 250 reported cases of criminal charges involving child-molesting priests, ministers or ministerial staff in the United States and Canada. Of the accused clergy, 75 were Catholic priests (39.5%), and 111 were Protestant ministers (58%). Also charged were one Mormon clergyman, one occult minister and two cult ministers. Protestant cases involved equal numbers of mainstream and fundamentalist/evangelical denominations…

Although priests make up only about 10% of North American clergy, they were 40% of the accused."

My point is that there are a lot of pedophiles out there. It just so happens that many of them are fundamentalist Christians, who are flocking to Sarah Palin and McCain right now.

And because there are so many pedophiles out there, kids need to know how to feel, ""Ugh, this old guy is a pervert. He's trying to do me dirty. I should stay away from him......"

It's time out for romper room, Gilligan's Island, and I dream of Jeannie politics. Yes, Gilligan's Island, you have the professor (Obama), the millionaire / his wife (McCain / Hillary), Maryanne (Sarah Palin), Ginger (Cindy McCain), Gilligan (Bush), and the Captain (Biden), playing out one act after the other. The American public is not being serviced by the media who brought us Paris, Brittney, and Lindsay in prime time or gave us Jerry Springer. A good story is all the American public wants, something that they can believe, not that it's real or logical, but it sounds good and deep down makes us feel good, for example, the run up to the War and the fact that anybody that questioned it was considered unpatriotic, again it's the story that has been sold to the public. Palin arise out of no where and now she possibly will be a heartbeat away from the Presidency. We've had eight years of sub-par, incompetent governing and now we are on the verge of four more, when will you wake up and start asking tough questions. We are hiring a President, not a friend. I'm so tired of hearing about whether this person relates to me, no my relatives relate to me, my husband relates to me, my children relate to me, my family and friends relate to me...I don't need anymore relations..I need a qualify, competent, thoughtful, intelligent, concerned, diligent, hardworking, bright, college-educated, world-traveled, has a vision for the country, has a plan for the country, has a plan to solve these overwhelming problems that we are faced with, PRESIDENT. From all indications if the last eight years is any indication of the next four, fire the party in charge of the last eight, this is not rocket science, but again, we do live in these Americans where every and anything matters except the real things that will change your life....if Walmart Mom want to vote for the party that continues to send your job to China and India than vote for McCain, but if Walmart Mom want to have a fighting chance where she will be able to afford healthcare,education, and a better paying job she best vote for Obama. Vote pocket book issues, they are the best indicator of the truth. If, all the rest is confusing and you can't keep one lie straight from the other, well vote based on whether you are better off now than you were eight years ago? If, yes check Republican, if no, check Democrat...simple.

Stacey- The point is no longer about being outraged by Republican lies; that's like being outraged by a rattlesnake's venom. Lies ARE the Republican currency. The point is to stop bringing slingshots to a gunfight here. Obama doesn't want to get nasty and aggressive, but he'd better...

Poor E.J. Dionne. Freshly weaned from his mother's teat, he looks around with delicate newborn eyes, and, my goodness, what does he see? UNTRUTHS out of GOP mouths! Whoever would've thought?

Of course, Dionne and his foundering newspaper never catch the Jackasses in a lie. When 9 out of 10 media types reliably vote Jackass every election, little impetus exists to ask those questions about which a party member would tell an untruth. Obama, for example, will go to the election without one mainstream-media member pursuing the William Ayres matter with him. "Suffusing occasions of hyperbole" they'll no doubt call it.

Truth, lies. The only way any of us are ever to know the truth is by self-education. Don't just read this article, read them all. And for those of you in this comment section that have stepped away from the candidates and turned some hateful messages toward your fellow Americans, most of whom are just trying to get at the truth, shame on you. Let's stop the finger pointing, name calling, he said/ she said, and get down to some facts. Fact is there are things about both candidates that don't add up. But even the hateful messages here about the men themselves prove why McCain's strategy of "...throw out the lies first and hope it sticks" works. Just stop. There are some very thoughtful, informed readers here who look beyond all the crap and understand the things that are going on around them. I am hoping that calmer heads will prevail and everyone finds the answers that they are looking for and keeps looking until they do. When that happens and EVERY registered voter actually votes, we could have our first uncontested and "of the people" election in many years, because what we don't need right now is apathy and indifference.

Does the truth Matter?
The question should be to whom does it matter?
I have always had to look a little harder, and listen a little closer, to see my way through the deceptive practices of someone who inflates their resume, to politicians who are looking out for your best interest. Who is the "you" they are talking about,
and is interest something concerning money? No ones "Lies" anymore, they misspoke, because you can not prove premeditation.

Since it is becoming more difficult to sort out the facts from the fiction, and more time consuming, the pursuit of truth is for self satisfaction.

Do journalist seek the truth rather than the recognition?

Is the truth even noticed? I recall Robert Heinline telling how to tell a lie is to tell the truth, either make it unbelievable, or only tell enough to reach a different conclusion. The latter has become common practice.

Is the agenda to convince me of how to think? That is what seems fashionable. Rush Limbaugh does that. He give the "Limbaugh Lemmings" a dialog to regurgitate but their conclusions are not reached just recited.
Thinking for yourself is just not in style. we want to look smart, no be smart, that take too much work

So how do we make the truth fashionable?
It might matter more if it was.

Are per diem payments tax free? $90,000 is a lot of per diem. What percentage of the salary is that?

That ad about sex ed for kindergardeners is atrocious. That kind of slander should be punished. I hope the media keeps slamming McCain and his campaign.

For those who don't know the truth: the legislation in question was to teach very young kids basic ideas such as good touch, bad touch to protect them from sexual predators. The McCain ad is deliberately and maliciously misleading to the American people and we shouldn't stand for that kind of thing. I'm tired of the lying. And no wonder they keep doing it. They barely get called on it. The fact checks aren't far-reaching enough. The media needs to make a bigger deal out of this.

We deserve the truth.

Republican are liars, all of them. All the honest ones now call themselves independents.

Not just the politicians, but the rank and file, faithfull reciting one whopper after another. Someone wrote me today and said it was left-wing bloggers who connected Palin with the culture wars, not her own words coming out of her own lying mouth.

They really don't care. Honesty is a loser's virtue to them. I am so out of this country.

according to some of the posts here, Obama needs to be kneecapped for whatever justification. In other words Republican lies are ok! I see.
McPalin voters, all millions of them would agree that gov't will need to legislate morality; i.e. death penalty for women and drs who choose abortion, in order for it to have teeth, the penalty should be stiff no?
well welcome to Focus on the Family part II: the enforcement.
We lied and bs'd our way into the white house, now we're gonna start showing you what real small town gov't means.

"The reason it is good for schools to teach young children about inappropriate touching or worse by adults is that, far too often, children are sexually abused by their own parents. That's why we can't just leave it up to parents. This is a serious issue and the negative impact of sex abuse is profound. Obviously, schools can't get into predicting which parents will abuse their children, so instruction for all children is the only possible option."

Didn't the legislation allow parents to keep their own children out of those "age approriate" sex ed classes?

How you going to explain to a 5 year old kid what a pedophile is?

The truth does matter. The truth is a liability. If you (or Obama) has an irrational affiliation with the truth and his opponent doesn't, who do you think has the advantage? Ally yourself with the truth, and it's like running the course with one leg.

Stick to the issues people. This election is based on a pack of lies. We love lies. We embrace them. Why should we face the truth? We can't handle the truth as Americans. Somehow are government has convinced us that we are the greatest nation in the World, that is partially true. We are not the only great nation, we are one of the greatest nations, but others are quickly gaining ground on us visa via., our dollars...can you say China. Yes, dumb Americans wake up and realize that China is coming, they are building schools (with American dollars)., they are stealing our technology (with no recourse), THEY OWN US (holders of more American debt), if they stopped shipping products to us it would shut down commerce in this country...wake up. Here you go..do a survey of the products in your house, are they made here or in China (Malaysia? China,you got it. They own you. They are our landlords and they will some day come to collect as they build a million man army...

Why does the mainstream liberal press continue to bash Palin and Maccain? Perhaps because they are both Christains? Perhaps because they both oppose killing baby's? Palin does not owe anything to "journalists" that would smear her. She can talk direct to the people and on talk radio like Shawn Hannity.

the so called "liberal media" is letting most all of the repub falsehoods slide by. it must be good for business or something.

McCain's behavior is very much in character. The "old" McCain was a fake, the real McCain is a lying fraud.

Didn't the Bible say, "You can't serve both God and mammon?"

Luke 16:13 (NIV) "No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."

Yet look how rich the McCains are. So many houses they don't remember how many they have. And Cindy wearing how many thousands of dollars worth at the RNC? A daughter of a beer magnate. What's this about her lobbying against "Mothers Agains Drunk Drivers?" Isn't that putting your profit potential above the lives of others?

And what about Palin, so greedy for money for Alaska that she is willing to ask for ten times more per capita than any other state, and that includes Obama (per capita he asked for 1/10th of what she asked for). Greed is not something Jesus promoted.

Why are the Republicans so closely allied with the oil companies and big corporations? I think they have always put money first, not God at all. "God" to them is just a tool to get their ways.

1 Tim 6:5-9 (NIV) "...men, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction."

The liberals are so filled with themselves and rightousness they don't understand why anyone would question them. They assume that the average American is stupid, unable to comprehend and always "politically incorrect". They leave it to left wing bloggers to throw out a never ending torrent of lies.

Obama is just a figure-head for the daily kos. move-on.org,& the al gores of this country. These people will not rest until we are a totally secular godforsaken, baby killing, country dependent upon the "great leader" for our jobs, food, and thoughts. There is a "real" issue for you socialist lemmings.

Obama is qualified to run an elevator in Chicago (with training) or perhaps he should visit the troops at Paris Island to learn how to properly shine a pair of shoes. He damn sure will not be our president.
9/10/2008 2:27:42 AM

I guess it really depends on what the meaning of what is is.

It happens Obama was vetted for months and was nominated. McCain won out of lack of better choice, either a lamb for sacrifice or a (dangerous) fluke (time will tell)... Palin was neither, pure pandering. Truth is a mirage in this country, where money can make any story 'real' enough for someone to bite... history is written by the winners. Once McCain passes away mid first term... check mate; neo-cons, war mongers and military industrialists win again. brilliant. can I get my tax rebate now? I need to buy a iPhone... urgently.

Obama "learn how to properly shine a pair of shoes"?

PLEASE, compare the eduction level of him against that of McCain and Palin. You are not giving credit where credit is due. There is a line in the Bible about this also.

What is the reason that you are not giving credit where due?

"Why does the mainstream liberal press continue to bash Palin and Maccain? Perhaps because they are both Christains? Perhaps because they both oppose killing baby's? Palin does not owe anything to "journalists" that would smear her. She can talk direct to the people and on talk radio like Shawn Hannity."

Perhaps they're lying. Perhaps they deserve to get bashed. Perhaps you're in denial. Perhaps you're manipulated.

As I wrote yesterday in a thread next to your column:

Get out of Brookings and smell the coffee,E.J.

The Republicans have been doing this for decades. It is not news and the American Public is completely aware of it.

What is worthy of your consideration is why the American Public is willing to swallow this guff: from Cadillac Drivin' Welfare Cheats to Willie Horton to the Swift Boat.

Stop day-dreaming about Al Smith and other prominent Catholic democrats and apply your considerable brain to thinking why Goebbels-like naked propaganda works time and time again. What is it about the mass of modern Americans that is so willing to believe such hate-filled untruth?

No! The sooner the Democrats learn that, the better off they are. Throw their mud right back at them. They should also stop pussyfooting around Palin's gender. If she wants to play in the big leagues, you have to hit her with a few pitches. If she can't stand the heat, let her go back to the kitchen. This is a street fight! Fight dirty, fight to win!

The "Trash" Talk Express, indeed!

Yes, Obama was vetted by Hannity, Beck, and Rush.

Obama is just a figure-head for the daily kos. move-on.org,& the al gores of this country. These people will not rest until we are a totally secular godforsaken, baby killing, country dependent upon the "great leader" for our jobs, food, and thoughts. There is a "real" issue for you socialist lemmings.

Obama is qualified to run an elevator in Chicago (with training) or perhaps he should visit the troops at Paris Island to learn how to properly shine a pair of shoes. He damn sure will not be our president.

This ad is so disgusting it motivates me to send more money to Barack Obama.

"...To Kindergartners." Lies! Lies!

I'm going to type it right here: John McCain is raping the truth, and after he's done, he'll wipe his penis clean with a copy of the Constitution.

The Maverick theme is just sounding plain corny now. Freaking caricatures.

Look, ther is one very important fact that people seem to be one sided on...

ALL POLITICIANS LIE!

That is a universal truth that has been a fact since the begining of the concept of politics.

Show me a politician that is "honost" and I'll laugh in your face and call you naive.

Both Obama and McCain are going to say whatever they think will get them elected. Period. End of debate.

Historically speaking, niether party is very effective. They both tend to bump heads and spin their wheels and not really accomplish much in the grand scheme of things.

The economy always dips around election time and the people of our country see that their candidate was full of it and couldn't possibly fullfill 1/3 of their promises. Then, once this "great new hope" takes office the economy picks back up. It's cyclical people.

Truth/Lies in politics aside, it IS your "civic duty" to look beyond the lies of both candidates as best you can and attempt to vote for the candidate you personally think would be best for out country. It's not an easy thing to do but we all need to try. And if you DON'T VOTE, YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO COMPLAIN!!!

"They [liberals] assume that the average American is stupid"

If the average American voted for Bush two elections in a row, then maybe the average American is stupid.

Stupid is as stupid does.

LYING SHOULD NOT BE EXCUSED IN OUR POLITICIANS, OUR LEADERS.

COME....ON.......!!!!!!

Sarah Palin fleeced the taxpayers of the US out of nearly $300 Million for pork-barrel spending in Alaska...the earmark for the bridge to nowhere. She just cancelled the project, but still took the money for another pork barrel project.

In short - PALIN STILL WASTED YOUR TAX DOLLARS!

Is that the kind of maverick you want in the White House?

>"These people will not rest until we are a totally secular godforsaken, baby killing, country dependent upon the "great leader" for our jobs, food, and thoughts. There is a "real" issue for you socialist lemmings. "

This is truly fascinating. I would love to observe the author in it's natural environment, understand it's personal dilemmas and interactions... so much anger. fascinating.

wow; reminds me of what one does on Monday through Saturday and then what the repugs do on Sunday, in church... ha!
Lie, deride, anything to win, (not to mention bankrupt the future generations of their own, bomb nations into hateful future terrorists, decimate our armed forces, legislate bs morality, making us laughing stock of the planet). All in the name of God?

Media, please point out these lies. The American public needs you to tell them the truth.

This is truely sad. We're worried about the color of the curtains while the house is burning down. Collapse is closer than we think. Wake up Sheeple! Deal with reality people, or reality will deal with you.

"Media, please point out these lies. The American public needs you to tell them the truth."

Amen

Hey you who are afraid of a "secular, god [sic] forsaken" country and then proceded to say Barack Obama, who graduated MAGNA CUM LAUDE from HARVARD Law School and was elected editor to the Harvard law review in his FIRST YEAR there...

You say he should "learn to properly shine shoes" and run an elevator in Chicago," you are very pious, are you?

Jesus did not teach hate. He would not be happy with what you are feeling right now.

Since when did the main stream media care about the truth?

Neither of those crooks/liars/morons should be President.

Oh my, the liberal columnists are shrill this week.

Think they've seen the poll numbers?

AMERICA, OBAMA and JIHAD
Synthesis & Prospective
(OPED can be published in two Parts)

Obama has finally revealed himself totally ignorant of IDEOLOGY WAR.
Obama could send as many soldiers to be killed, and spend as many billions of dollars, in Afghanistan instead of Iraq (what an innovative revolution ! ) : that would not change one iota, on the long term, in the War against Islam Terrorism.

The real and only target on the long term being the Madrasas, Islamic Schools & Centres, etc. who teach tirelessly the murderous hatred of all non-Muslims : (Jews, Christians, Hindouists, Buddhists, Shintoists, Animists, Shamanists, Marxists, etc.)

Al-Qaida, Talibans, Ayatollahs, Mollahs, Hezbollah, Hamas, and other similar Syndicates, all fully loaded with petrodollars, but feeling often humiliated, are thirsting for revenge, and want to set to Occident a spectacular and unforgettable example of the true MUHAMMADAN JIHAD.
Therefore, they will not hesitate, one minute, to use the Atomic (or other sophisticated) Weapon to wipe off Israel, to set ablaze the Middle East Oil reserves (of the “civilized World”) and to strike the powerful but “dangerously vulnerable” USA …
And then, the 11-9 surprise of the twin towers of New-York will be nothing compared to the Hell Disaster to come.

And here again, Barack Hosein Obama (by himself and with his background family “in limits”) appears completely disarmed, glued and vulnerable in the interlocked Fundamentals of this Islam Terrorism Ideology.
At least, John Mc Cain offers an efficient guaranty of the valuable experience of collective discipline, which is one of the minimum conditions of waging war against Terrorism.

{-{-{: On the way of waging War efficiently, on the long term, against Islamic Terrorism, without ENDLESSLY sacrificing life of Soldiers and wasting Billions of Dollars :
SEE : http://jerusalem-4thtemple-natan.blogspot.com
Post : “ROBOMARTYRS” }-}-}
**************************************************************************************

Installed in his demagogic but ignorant mental frame, Barack Hosein Obama has nevertheless revealed himself as ignorant of ISLAM as he is ignorant of this IDEOLOGY WAR, when he declared pompously :
“Al-Qaida and Talibans have perverted Islam !”

Al-Qaida and Talibans have NOT “perverted Islam”, as Obama would like so much to think :
Al-Qaida, Talibans, Ayatollahs, Mollahs, Madrasas, Hezbollah, Hamas, etc. are just longing for THE original Islam Fundamentals :

In that respect, ambitious Obama would be well inspired to spare ten minutes of his life to read, for instance, Koran Sura IX “al-Tuwba” -“Immunity”- in Arabic or in English (on condition of bewaring of most Koran translations, which are biased and toned down to avoid to reveal to Westerners the true and crude Islam)

Here after, some Koran extracts of this Sura - Sura IX “al-Tuwba” -“Immunity” - (translated in English), plus other little Koran extracts, from the Book On-Line : “The Temple of Solomon could not stand on its Water-Tower”:

FOLDER 54

Page 1984 - 5
Koran : Sura : IV : "An-Nisa" : "Women" : Verse : 95 :
Not equal are those Believers who stay at home
(other than those who have a disabling hurt)
and those who strive and fight in the cause of Allah
with their goods and their lives.
Allah has conferred on those who fight with their wealth and lives
a rank above those who stay at home.
To all in Faith has Allah promised good.
But He will bestow on those who fight
a greater Reward (in Paradise) than on those who stay at home.

Koran : Sura VIII : "Al-Anfal" : "The Loot" : Verse : 67 :
It is not fitting for a Prophet that he should make any prisoner of war
until he has fought and slaughtered all the Unbelievers on earth.

Page 1986
Koran : Sura IX : "Al-Tawba" : "Immunity" : Verse : 20 :
Those who believe, and suffer exile
and strive and fight in the cause of Allah
with their goods and their lives,
will have the highest rank in the sight of Allah (in Paradise) :
They are the people who will achieve Salvation.

Koran : Sura IX : "Al-Tawba" : "Immunity" : Verse : 24 :
Recite (Muhammad) :
If it be that your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your mates,
or your kindred, the wealth that you have gained,
the commerce in which you fear a decline,
or the dwellings in which you delight
- (if all these) are dearer to you than Allah, and His Messenger,
and the fighting in His cause (Jihad) –
then wait until Allah brings about His Decision (at the Final Judgment):
- Allah does not welcome transgressing people -

Koran : Sura IX : "Al-Tawba" : "Immunity" : Verse : 30 :
The Jews say: “Uzair (?) is the son of Allah.”(?),
and the Christians say : “The Messiah (Jesus) is the son of Allah.”
- That is their saying with their mouths ! -
In this, they but imitate what the unbelievers of old used to say.
May Allah massacre them all !
How perverse are they !

Koran : Sura IX : "Al-Tawba" : "Immunity" : Verse : 38-39 (extracts):
O you who believe !
Very little is the fleeting pleasure of this life,
compared with the Hereafter (after the Resurrection).
If you not go forth to fight,
Allah will punish you with a painful doom in (Hell)
And put others in your place.
But Him you could not harm in the least.
- For Allah has power over all things. -

Koran : Sura IX : "Al-Tawba" : "Immunity" : Verse : 73 :
O Prophet ! Fight hard against the Unbelievers and the Hypocrites,
Be ruthless against them.
Their ultimate abode will be Hell
- an evil refuge indeed. -

Koran : Sura IX : "Al-Tawba" : "Immunity" : Verse : 111 :
Allah has purchased of the believers their persons and their goods :
They fight His Jihad
For them in return will be the Garden (of Paradise)
Let them slay or be slain !

Koran : Sura IX : "Al-Tawba" : "Immunity" : Verse : 123 :
O you who believe!
Fight all Unbelievers who gird you about,
and let them find you always ruthless :
Know that Allah is with those who fear Him !

Koran : Sura IX : "Al-Tawba" : "Immunity" : Verse : 29 :
Fight those who do not believe in Allah nor the Last Day,
nor hold as forbidden
that which has been forbidden by Allah and His Prophet,
nor acknowledge the religion of Truth (Islam)
and fight the People of the Book (Jews and Christians),
until they pay the Jizya
(Tribute which must be paid to the Moslems by all the “dhimmis”
i.e. by the Christians and the Jews)
with willing submission,
and feel themselves subjected and humiliated !

Page 1989
Koran : Sura II : "Al-Baqara : The (Red) Cow" : Verse : 247 :
Allah grants His kingdom to whom He pleases.
- Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing. -

Page 1990
Koran : Sura : IV : "An-Nisa" : "Women" : Verse : 76 :
Those who believe, fight in the cause of Allah,
and those who reject (Islam) Faith, fight for the cause of Evil:
So fight you against the friends of Satan,
as the strategy of Satan will always be weaker.

It would be interesting if the Medias would decide to study seriously the problem of WORLD ISLAM IDEOLOGY, instead of basking in a deaf-and-blind conventional ambiguity :
All the more so as the issue of this Islam Ideology problem is certainly one of the most challenging in this century, considering the colossal weight of the Petro-Dollars, considering the dazzling possibilities offered by biological, chemical and atomic weapons, and considering the irreversible fanaticism of the Warriors of Islam and of their Robo-Martyrs…

Natan 2008

choosing mccain/palin is like choosing a bridge to nowhere.

Somebody going down.....

I just hope it's not the American people again, after these past 8 years.

If this is what a nation under God looks and sounds like I 'm glad I live in another, secular state. Republicans seem sure Jesus would've voted for them!

Koran : Sura IX : "Al-Tawba" : "Immunity" : Verse : 73 :
O Prophet ! Fight hard against the Unbelievers and the Hypocrites,
Be ruthless against them.
Their ultimate abode will be Hell
- an evil refuge indeed. -

Koran : Sura IX : "Al-Tawba" : "Immunity" : Verse : 111 :
Allah has purchased of the believers their persons and their goods :
They fight His Jihad
For them in return will be the Garden (of Paradise)
Let them slay or be slain !

Koran : Sura IX : "Al-Tawba" : "Immunity" : Verse : 123 :
O you who believe!
Fight all Unbelievers who gird you about,
and let them find you always ruthless :
Know that Allah is with those who fear Him !

Koran : Sura IX : "Al-Tawba" : "Immunity" : Verse : 29 :
Fight those who do not believe in Allah nor the Last Day,
nor hold as forbidden
that which has been forbidden by Allah and His Prophet,
nor acknowledge the religion of Truth (Islam)
and fight the People of the Book (Jews and Christians),
until they pay the Jizya
(Tribute which must be paid to the Moslems by all the “dhimmis”
i.e. by the Christians and the Jews)
with willing submission,
and feel themselves subjected and humiliated !

Page 1989
Koran : Sura II : "Al-Baqara : The (Red) Cow" : Verse : 247 :
Allah grants His kingdom to whom He pleases.
- Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing. -

Page 1990
Koran : Sura : IV : "An-Nisa" : "Women" : Verse : 76 :
Those who believe, fight in the cause of Allah,
and those who reject (Islam) Faith, fight for the cause of Evil:
So fight you against the friends of Satan,
as the strategy of Satan will always be weaker.

It would be interesting if the Medias would decide to study seriously the problem of WORLD ISLAM IDEOLOGY, instead of basking in a deaf-and-blind conventional ambiguity :
All the more so as the issue of this Islam Ideology problem is certainly one of the most challenging in this century, considering the colossal weight of the Petro-Dollars, considering the dazzling possibilities offered by biological, chemical and atomic weapons, and considering the irreversible fanaticism of the Warriors of Islam and of their Robo-Martyrs…

Natan 2008

How much did she get on eBay for the Bridge To Nowhere?

Republicans are shrill and fighting dirtier than ever.

What else is new?

Freaking caricatures.

An Open Letter to the Barack Obama Campaign
By a loyal and frustrated Democrat
September 9, 2008

We’ve been here before, in 2000 and 2004, and we don’t like the feeling. The Republican presidential ticket surges while the Democrats’ campaign is looking like a deer caught in the headlights these days; unprepared, unequipped, and immobilized.

What’s wrong here? We know what the Republicans have to offer, and none of it promises anything but a continuation of the cruel, divisive, unfair policies of the past 8 years. The road on which McCain and Palin would take us is clearly marked, both by their own words and by the martial drumbeat of the Republican base. The income gap will grow wider; our troops will continue to die in a pointless quagmire of a war; the planet will continue to sicken, and the middle class (what’s left of it) will struggle harder to make ends meet.

With nearly 80% of Americans believing the country to be headed in the wrong direction and a Republican president with near-record low approval numbers, Obama should be a shoo-in, but instead he’s lost his lead, his momentum, and his stature as the exciting and inspiring candidate of change. And his campaign, true to the worst and weakest aspects of Democratic election politics, is letting it happen. Accusations are either left unanswered or addressed with cool, almost bored-sounding diffidence. Obama’s strategists seem baffled as to how to counter the Republican bloodlust generated by Sarah Palin, afraid of appearing harsh or demeaning if they go on the attack.

Harsh? Demeaning? This is a fight we are in; a fight with millions of stakeholders against an opponent who plays rough, dirty, and relentlessly. Obama is playing right into the Republicans’ hands by trying to appear cool and above the fray. It’s not a winning strategy; just ask John Kerry and Al Gore.

The Obama campaign seems to have become trapped in permanent reactive mode. There appears to have been no forward motion lately, no initiative, and no inspiration. It’s as if Obama is merely waiting to see what the McCain/Palin ticket will do next, so he can respond. Not very presidential, Senator.

So we beg this campaign: Get it together. Get tough, risk the inevitable criticism, and fight. We are behind you, and we are counting on you. If Obama doesn’t start landing punches soon, it will be time for loyal Democrats to begin working on a Hillary Clinton in 2012 campaign, because you will have blown this one. Don’t let that happen.

I am convinced the truth is totally irrelevant to the radical right. The only thing that matters to them is that their candidates are right on abortion, gays, and taxes. Palin/mccain have been out repeating over and over and over the same lies that have absolutely been proven to be lies. What happens? Those born again folks cheer wildly. What hypocrisy. the problem is, the lying appears to be working. Their bible is suddenly irrelevant too. How sad and pathetic.

Spreading lies harder and harder, eh, Republicans?

ROFLMAO

Nigel,

I like your letter. Please send it.

I have sent my letter. You send it too. Copy it, forward it to every Dem you know, go on the Obama campaign site, and POST. Let's see them get 3,000 of these babies by Friday, eh?

Lying doesn't bother Republican leaders and what is worse is it shows how little respect they have for their supporters when they consistently lie to them. It is shocking and disgusting. I am tired of Democrats always taking the high-road. While it is admirable and respectable, the Republicans have shown that lying and deceiving gets votes. It is unfortunate but true. The media is so scared of taking stabs at Republicans because as soon as they do every Republican whines and cries. So instead the media has just become another tool for the GOP to use to harp on nonsense issues they put out there. I respect this paper for still having high standards and integrity, but its about time all of the press put this issue front and center - the Republican are flat out lying over and over again and their campaign strategists even admit that lies don't matter.

Nigel,
I have copied your letter and will send it. Thanks.

Does anyone really believe anything politians say on the campaign trail anymore?

At our home, we call it the Trail of Lies. Our days of wide eyed innocence are long gone. We are weathered now and know that politicians will tell the people whatever they think they want to hear to get the votes. Then, once in office point fingers at others to justify their failings.

Selecting a representative today is like a dart game - occasionally you hit a bulls eye; most of the time you hit the backboard.

GOP...the party that wrecked America.

To All Concerned,

I am greatly disappointed in most of the comments I read referencing your article, “Does the truth matter anymore?” All I see is a lot of sniping and no qualitative or quantitative analysis stressing individual points of view to others. I also notice that those commenting want to stay anonymous and hide in the shadows behind ridiculous email sir names. How about putting your name and reputation on the line like the candidates do? Fat chance that will happen so hide behind your keyboard and monitor of righteous pontification. Remember it is a free country that comes with a cost. Individuals need to base their choices upon in-depth knowledge of as many topics as possible and not just the impulsive headline gibberish one hears from the media or one-sided extremist views from one-issue fringe wonders that are full of themselves. The average person sees through this and discards as background or white noise. If you want to make a difference at the very least go out and campaign constructively for the person you want in office without slander or malice in this forum. Be respectful of others points of view and remember that everyone is entitled to their opinion. That is what makes America so unique. If you are not willing to sign your name to your work and be proud of your contribution to the cause of freedom and a democratic society get back on the porch, enjoy the parade, and waive as it goes by. Just look at your television if you need a good example to follow; a picture is worth a thousand words.

The real tragedy of this story is that out of a population of more than 220-million people of majority only 61% are reported as registered and 44% actually voted in 2006 (U.S. Census Bureau Voting and Registration Nov 2006). Most people that do not cast votes are turned off from the whole election process due to the bashing and trashing of people and the hideous rhetoric associated with it from people with personal or party agendas. I still believe that most Americans and people in general want to be remembered for the good that they have done and not for their errant or arrogant ways. If you want to make a positive impact on this and future elections we need more people to vote, and not just for a particular candidate or proposition. The only way people of this great nation will ever take back the government that was created and belongs to us, is to get everyone involved in the election process so that a true represented voice is heard and then hold elected officials accountable for their actions. If current voter trends continue the popular vote could be determined by fewer than 60-million voters that influence the electoral votes and determine the presidency in the next few weeks.

I personal have not made up my mind completely; however, I will vote based upon facts and clear understanding by removing the fog that has clouded the vision of so many out there that have lost their way and are shouting out to regain “true bearing” and insight. I will vote, my choice, and that is that!

S/F
Mark Sperling
Murrieta, CA

Gee Dionne I don't think the truth does matter to you or the WaPo.
Want proof?
How about your LIES and WAR MONGERING?
How much blood is on your hands?

And I didn't hear you squealing like an incontinent school girl when Hussein
LIED about McCain's Iraq plans
LIED about Jeremiah Wright
LIED about Rezco
LIED about his Legislative career.

Gee Dionne you only get lathered by what you call McCain "lies"...
And I'm sick and tired of your grotesque partisanship.
Why aren't you off doing "community organizing" or some such DemoCr*p touchy feely?

Speaking of touchy feely DemoRapists:
Only the DemoFrauds would believe that in order to warn small children about dangerous strangers then you must teach them sex ed.
Haven't we been told by those same DemoFrauds that sex abuse is not about sex, it is about power, blah blah, blah...
So to be consistent the DemoIdiots should teach Great Power Politics to warn against predators.
But NOOOOO! Hussein won't be happy until preschoolers are taught how to put on a condom.

And one more thing, Hussein might be a tad more careful about his lip references... glass houses and all that!

John McCain: "I would rather lose my integrity than a presidential election.

as someone who has covered presidential campaigns, i can vouch that this one is over the top, probably an outgrowth of the popularity of shouting tabloid-cable where everything goes. and not just over the top, but sleazy in the case of mccain's. the mccain/palin lies have all the "earmarks" of involvement of karl rove, as noted at www.straightrecord.com/randomrants.

Thank you, E.J. - we needed this to be said, loud and clear. What's the matter with those McCain people?? Don't they have a conscience? don't they know that there is so much at stake for our country and that we can't afford any more winning by lying?

They say power corrupts. But I think the desire for power is more dangerous. There was a time when John McCain was admired by many people; lately though, there are so many McCains that the original one has fallen off someplace and can no longer be found. He has not only disappeared, but his sense of ethics, his sense of decency and fair play seems also to have evaporated - if he ever really had these qualities. One will probably blame his handlers or the Rove advisers, but you know what? He is the one who will run the country if elected - what does this say about his judgment and sense of decency if he allows the lying and manipulations to go on? Not very much. I hope decent people in the media will continue to call him and his campaign - and any other campaign who indulges in such behavior - to account. As an electorate, dependent on the news media as arbiters of fair play, we deserve nothing less.

I see Obama ads here that deliberately misrepresent McCain's "5 million dollars" joke as a serious comment. Funny that Dionne's outrage only goes one in direction.

How on Earth can you have democracy in a country that is predominately religous?
Those who live life by the Bibles rules have no say what so ever. That is what democracy is about; the ability to make judgements and decisions free of bigotry.
Religion runs Americans which other country has to take into account Evangecicals minority groups, race and gender into consideration?
But "the trail of lies", as our friend above says, still leaves you with a choice of who lies least.
Regarding Wars in The middle East; seek the advice of the very articulate, erudite Rory Stewart. Thanks for the word. The Baldchemist

I have been proud of my country all my life. I have to say, this country disgusts me now. i'm glad I'm old and dying because it sickens me to live in this filth anymore.

I hope Americans will not be so naive to believe these lies

Jane, little children are at highest risk of sexual molestation from FAMILY MEMBERS such as uncles, siblings, parents etc. That's why it's appropriate for the school to present info to the child about inappropriate touching etc. Because parents don't think of discussing that with their kids. It's never too early to go over that info.

I am looking for truth this time, and I have switched to Democrat because of the blatant distortions of Gov. Palin's record, and the wholesale sellout of McCain's former principles. Both McCain and Palin will say anything to get elected. That's not good enough for me. They lost my vote because the republican election machine grew out of control several years ago, and can no longer be trusted. It's time for the republicans to really get religious and go find the real God they always talk about, but don't really seem to know.

PS. In regards to sex education; is there any evidence that the parents had any?
What constitutes sex education? Abstinence? From what? With who? Its all over the place, even in Ted Haggard's Churches! Catholic priests don't fare much better either. Are these the people sex education should be entrusted to? sarah Palin didn't make such a good job either eh?
But, let those without sin cast the first stone. Always forgiveness, but where is the understanding and tolerance for those outside?

Alaska Mike - See my letter about 20 posts above yours. If you feel as you do, let the Obama camp know they need to GET TOUGH. Feel free to copy and forward the letter to as many as you can - and POST it on the Obama campaign website. Let's start a movement here!

I have been trying to articulate everything I don't like about McCain in this election and have been unable to do it. Thank you, you nailed it right on!!

I'm surprised that Dionne is surprised.

After all these years, he should know there is no moral equivalency between Democrats and Republicans.

If Republicans didn't lie, they'd have nothing to say.

It's amazing how you American are so easily bought by the hype and forgetting about the substance. It is this kind of attitude deemed responsible for your deteriorate influence of the world. I guess everybody loves the drama in America. Just don't complain okay if in the next decades you'll be swallowed by the giants that's called China and India Ok? Heck, even Chevron moved its HQ to Dubai.
I wonder why the Obama camp haven't release such ads like:
"If you LOVE America, you won't give her another four year of messy administration, you won't let her fall into the abyss created by the same administration for the past eight year. Don't let her walk in the bridge of nowhere. Vote for Obama/Biden."
There! The worst McCain can do is to play the issue that Obama is not American, and the Dems can accuse him of playing the race card. Hey if Palin can play the sexism card, why can't the Dems play with the race card? Oh right, that's because Americans are officially a bunch of blubbering idiots.

What's next " Reefer Madness" or Monty Python ? Walter Cronite is spinning in his grave of the reporting being done .

Gleeful hypocrisy. It doesn't matter if McCain/Palin attack with lies and distortions. The wink and smile of Sarah Plain and the glee of the base is really what it is about. Watch a Rush Limbaugh fan listen to his show. Palin is a good looking Rush evoking that "feel good hatred" that Rush spews forth everyday. Oh those liberals are so smug and haughty..we will teach them. What is unfortunate is that the base believes Rush's sarcasm and demeanor is appropriate for a Vice Presidential candidate..... as long as she delivers it with a smile. The ectasy of showing us dems that "plain talking" Palin is going to give us elite, intellectual snobs ourcommeuppance is telling. None of them seem to THINK the idea of a person who traveled for the first time out of NA last year as the potential leader of the free world might not be a good idea. The person who has to think about nuclear terrorism and world issues, meet with world leaders knows nothing about anything of substance is a reasonable thing to do. (Yea I know they are giving her their 8 week crash course) They love her because they love how good it makes them FEEL about kicking us snobs in the rear end. Watch the venom, watch the hypocrisy at www.dailyshow.com by viewing John Stewart's REPORTING on the clip "palin's gender card" already viewed by 3,000,000+ people. So far this is the truth, the only truth. Why does the mainstream media not report as well as Stewart?

It is about time that one touched on this point. George W. Bush has brought the country to the point where 1 Million people will have to go out on the streets to find the truth. This election started with a few good ideas and set a fire around the earth. Now where there is hope coming out of the USA, a McCain and Palin are doing their best to pull the hope in the gutter. 4 more years of a McBush will put the lid on the USA.

Barack Obama has been running for President for 20 months, and the media has not vetted him, yet Sarah Palin was named the nominee for Vice-President 12 days ago and the Democrats and liberal media already sent 30 Democratic attorneys to dig dirt on her. How long did it take Barack Obama to be interviewed without pre-conditions? The liberal media rather be called sexist than racist!

Typical Post: Obama tells Jews he wants a united Jerusalem. The NEXT DAY he backtracks. On falsehood? McCain, at a town meeting, was asked how long U.S. troops would be needed in Iraq acting as a backup for the Iraqi soldiers. He replied, :Maybe ten, maybe one hundred years."
Obama then said, and keeps saying that McCain WANTS our soldiers there for one hundred years.
Obama said he believed in public financing of campaigns and vowed to be a part of that system. But when the money started flowing in, he saw "problems" with that same system and refused public financing.

The list goes on and on, but don't look to the Post to use words such as "falsehood" "attack" or "smear" in reference to Obama.

You folks in the beltway don't get it and never will: The American people can look beyond media slant.

Even CNN, not exactly Fox News, noticed that its own commentators had a bias when they spoke of the far right being in control of the Republican party, yet never made reference to the far left being in control of the Democratic party, spurning moderate Hillary for someone rated by liberal groups as the first or second most liberal senator.

I am sure McCain has stretched the truth at times, but Obama does the same and comes out unscathed by the press and by the Beltway Believers.

Get a life. Sell your SUVS with their "Save the Planet" stickers and examine your own hypocricy before attacking someone else.

What kind of sick human being has a problem with protecting children from child molesters?

John McCain, you've sold your soul.

I'm not saying I'm surprised at this ad with Karl Rove and Tucker " John McCain has a black baby " Eskew working on his campaign, I'm just saying I'm struck by just exactly how low McCain will go. I guess once you're willing to place your lips on the a** of a man who used your child to smear you, nothing is beneath you.

Unfortunately no Dionne. The truth doesn't matter anymore and hasn't for quite some time. Republicans have made a conscious effort to disparage, if not destroy, American institutions that they felt were hurting their cause, which in effect has included at one time or another every institution mentioned in the Constitution, e.g., the federal government, the press, the judiciary, Congress, and the presidency (during Clinton's years, now Republicans would have us believe that the President’s importance cannot be overstated). In the early 1990s, the mainstream media (MSM) was the primary target. Since then, members of the MSM by and large have been slow to expose right-wing absurdities for fear of being labeled bias and Republicans have been inoculated from any negative press among their faithful and many low information independents. Deregulation of the telecommunications industry in the mid-1990s further diminished truth’s importance. Thereafter, the MSM was subject to typical corporate and financial concerns, undermining its ability to perform its traditional role as a government watchdog. As a result, our very democracy is now threatened.

I'm finding the rabid partisanship a bit disturbing. Is the issue "does the truth matter anymore?" or is it "why I really hate it when the other guy lies and seems to be getting away with it"? John McCain didn't invent political lying. Clinton and Gore were masters at "informational pragmatism". Does anyone really want an honest discussion, or are we a culture only interested in hearing the spin of our preferred perspective?

What's even worse than this campaign ad is that McCain could tell his supporters that he is making all this stuff up to win the election and they would still vote for him. Republicans voters don't care about issues, doesn't anyone get it?

As an 8 year old girl I was a victim of incest and inappropriate touching by my father. I didn't know what to do, didn't know what to say, and I wasn't sure if it was o.k. because no one had told me? You see most parents don't think they have to they think their kids are safe well, guess what they are not. Then at age 18 I was raped by my best friends father, same thing didn't know what to do, and didn't know what to say. I was 30 years old before I told anyone, and the only reason I did then is that a had just had a precious little baby girl and by god I wasn't going to let the same things happen to her. A woman is raped in this country every 6 minutes, stop and think about that really think about it. Sexual abuse is going up through the roof has no one been paying attention in the last couple of years? We have sex traders selling a buying girls as young as 8 and guess what ding bats it is happening here to. My daughter knew about where she could be touched and not touched before I sent her to pre-school and I'm glad I've taught her all this stuff. Now, when something happens on the computer or at school she feels like she can tell me and has done so. If all the republicans would like to forget the past scandals in the catholic church and act like they didn't happen, if they would like to act as if pedophillia isn't on the rise and if they would like to pretend in their perfect little world that children are not abused then they can, but to take a bill that was to protect children all of our children and turn it into this is past disgusting it is dis-honorable. Obama has two daughters, and the McCain campaign has turned into scum. I don't ever want to hear the words uttered by anyone about him being a hero ever again. As a victim of incest and rape to me he has become the most disgusting piece of crap on the face of the earth even worse than Rove, Bush, and Cheney.

She described its members as a silent majority of women in Middle America who "are raising our families, who work if we have to, but love our country and our families first."

_______________________

A silent majority of white women in Middle America.

I call it a racist movement.

if the comment - you can put lipstick on a pig but it still stays a pig - is such a common saying and acceptable, would americans still be proud and still find it appropriate if this was said in public on a world stage about other presidents and vice presidents of the world?

That legislation DID NOT explicitly push for sex education for children in kindergarten.

“But the legislation allowed local school boards to teach ‘age-appropriate’ sex education, not comprehensive lessons to kindergartners, and it gave schools the ability to warn young children about inappropriate touching and sexual predators.”

We are all aware that even some priests and other religious leaders sexually abuse little children and those children may come from strong families with both parents at home.

Pedophiles can be relatives, friends and strangers.

A certain amount of low level knowledge about inappropriate touching or rubbing from adults and others must be imparted on to children at some age;

either from parents or qualified school official with the permission of the parents.

Should we turn a blind eye like McCain/Palin are insidiously, country last advertising and refuse to proactively protect our children from sexual predators and other violent sex criminals?

Good LORD its amazing how many people are brainwashed by the extremist left media!!! IM GOING TO EDUCATE YOU GUYS ON A FEW THINGS.

SHE DIDNT LIE ABOUT THE BRIDGE! IT started out as, hey, we need this. (for the record, it was 2 bridges, one of which we really DO need) First of all, the earmark was NOT proposed by her. She was simply agreeing with MANY other state officials that wanted to see the bridges built. Then it GRADUALLY turned into an issue of "hmm, this might not be a good idea, but lets see how it pans out", to "Nope. This is too much money." And as for her keeping the money, YOUR DAMN RIGHT WE DID! The DC jagoffs said,"here is the money, but you can't use it on this...". WHat kind of bs was that. OK FOR YOU LOWER 48rs, Alaska is EXPENSIVE AND STILL A YOUNG one, compared to you states that have been around since 1850! We are STILL building infrasructure! And, shocker... Materials are more expensive to get up here. So a $300million job to us is more like a $195million job to you guys. thats just the way it is. Try living in a place where you cant even find a 1 bedroom apt for less that $875/month. Where gas is STILL up to 6 dollars a gallon. Where we dont have a mcdonalds Dollar value menu, its the 1.50 menu! and the list goes on and on.

Alaska is a VERY independant state. Thats how its people are, and its no different for Palin. So she fired her Chef, but the chef stayed on for the LEGISLATORS.. Why is that such a big deal to you people?? Again, not a lie.

PALIN sought earmarks in the millions in her town of 6thousand because it was, and still is, the FASTEST GROWING City in the state! It was just a matter of keeping up with demand. Thats how fast people have been moving into the area.

She never tried to ban any books or fired anyone specifically for that reason. She mentioned she found a couple of them offensive, and asked the librarian in a public meeting a HYPOTHETICAL question. And PLEASE Disregard this list of books circulating on the net that she supposadly banned. Its complete BS because on that list are books that hadnt even been published yet!!

Earmarks is a MOOT point because as the governor of AK, SHE DOESNT SEEK EARMARKS! Thats our Representatives in DC that put in the requests. Im sure theres probably discussion between governors and their representatives about what they would LIKE to see happen, but its allllllll up the elected persons in DC. So the fact that people want to argue earmarks when it comes to sarah palin, its a dead issue!
She doesnt want to teach JUST creationism in schools! SHE WANTED A MIXED creationism/evolutionist type of corriculum. (i am sure i mispelled that) Another LIE.
She teaches abstinance only, but guess what. EVEN THE BEST PARENTS ON THE PLANET'S KIDS MAKE MISTAKES!!! And this would NOT be a big deal if Bristol were 18!
As for the state jet. She put it on EBAY, but thats one i will agree with. it never actually SOLD on ebay. Though SHE NEVER SAID SHE MADE A PROFIT from it. McCain said that, and it was a slip up on his part.
The Troopergate thing ( i hate that name, what a rip off of watergate! haha). The trooper IN QUESTION repeatadly threatned Palin's family, He tasered his 11 year old boy, He was an alcoholic who drank ON THE JOB, he is in fact the OPPOSITE of what a peace officer should be! The commisioner FIRST SAID THAT HE NEVER FELT PRESSURED TO FIRE THE TROOPER! Then all of a sudden, when the media turned it into a HUGE deal, he suddenly said, "oh, yea, i felt a little pressure". She had executive power, which means that if she finds that someone isn't working to 100% of their capabilites that they are supposed to, she has the authority to replace them. And even though there was a formal review of the officer, which found him still in good standing and able to keep his job, THE GOVERNOR has the authority to over ride that if she deems it a risk to the public, which that officer, AND MANY OFFICERS UP HERE, was. The news reports seem to like to leave the portions about how the officer made threats against her family several times out. Hmmm.. so to 99 percent of americans, it looks like an abuse of power over her ex bro in law.

Hope this starts to clear things up a bit.

In this world, in this life there are only two things that matter to people.....truth and fear. Fear kills truth and truth kills fear.

As an example, in this searing political season, the lies made by Mr. McCain and Mrs. Palin are born of fear. McCain/Palin cannot use any other tool but fear because there is no truth to their message.....it literally doesn't exist. And it does not exist for Bush either (it seems to me that all George W. Bush's decisions are born of fear).

On the other hand, one of remarkable things about Mr. Obama is that he seems to believe, in his deepest heart, that truth is on his side. Consequrently, he is reluctant to use fear as a political tool and seems very truthful about everything he engages.

This theory rolls back into many political situations throughout history but perhaps my favorite is the way Lincoln used his personal truth to defeat Stephen Douglas in the Illinois debates of 1858. Though he lost that election, his truth about human rights as it pertained to slaves and the states they lived in, propelled him to the White House two years later and the rest is history.

We can also know this, and take heart.....in this struggle between these two very important human ideas, truth always wins.

More Troopergate information in John Hosenball's Newsweek article. It seems the judge in the Wooten divorce case warned repeatedly that Palin's disparagement and that of her family could be considered emotional abuse. Three years later and at least two dozen calls, emails, etc. from Palin, her husband, daughter, and aides haven't slowed her down. Last week, she was still disparaging. The judge said that, after monitoring, he maintained the right to grant custody to the trooper and order him to move, with the children, to Anchorage. It will be interesting to see if this happens.

The trooper has guts though to stay in a state where Cheney with lipstick is the governor.

What do you expect from people who criticized Obama for months on end as someone whose reputation was based entirely on a speech he gave at a convention ... and who then began to adore Palin solely on the basis of a speech she gave at a convention?

In this presidential muckraker election of 2008, McCain’s Rovian strategists are disgraceful, child abusers for political leverage, first and foremost.

Undeniably, many Republicans and some of their supporters have constantly worked to divide this great country; our politics is soap opera TV for the rest of the world.

In the actualities of a great nation, the smallness of our politics rears its ugly rear too many times.

The numbers I've read say 30%+ chance McCain will die in office.

No one can deny that if Governor Palin were a man, she would never have been picked.

Say what you will about Obama's experience, but he has been vetted over and over through the primary season by voters and the media. He won the nomination fairly after campaigning in every state and got millions of votes.

One man made the Palin decision on very little information. One man decided that the free world could be ruled by someone with no foreign policy experience and little exposure to much of America and the world.

With no real clue on how Gov. Palin might engage China, Russia, Iran, or other rogue states, McCain gambled all of our futures.

Would you entrust the safety of your children to someone you've only seriously talked to once? Especially when you knew they were at serious risk from the outside?

Isn't that the definition of "Being willing to lose a war to win an election?"

A fundamental problem with the “truth” is that Reps and Dems camps each consider their sources of information as reasonably well-balanced, largely because the “facts” reported by these sources confirm what each camp already believes; opposing sources are immediately branded as liars and frauds.

Unfortunately, the general public does not understand that, for commercial reasons, their information source has no intention whatsoever of giving them the “unvarnished truth” but, on the contrary, actually strives to give “their public” what that public wants to hear, see or read.

As a result, mutually mis-informed camps waste their energies slinging half-truths and absolute malarky, dressed-up as irrefutable fact. The counter-productive, hate-enducing vitriol that results can easily be verified on virtually all political threads as well as most news media.

Neither side shows any respect for the “enemy” - a startling concept in a democracy - and any resemblance to informed political debate is purely coincidental.

The only way out of this dangerous situation for our democracy is for each camp to demand of their own sources of information rigourous information and fact checking, or for individuals to do their own critical digging.

I’m not holding my breath...

Disgusting.

I too am absolutely floored by the amount of lies that the McCain campaign is getting away with. The media is not doing their job. McCain is running a low down dirty campaign. LIES LIES LIES. The media needs to stand up and report on these lies. They are giving these people a free ride to 4 more years to run our country into the ground. And yes, it's the same people. The same people that got Bush elected are running this campaign. McCain/Palin will hardly skip a beat from Bush/Cheney. Name a single policy difference.

With the way the world is now, I want my children to be aware that there are people out there who may harm them. If the republicans are in office they will not have the chance to choose, heaven help them if they are raped or a victim of incest. Pro choice all the way!!

Oh, please. I see you focus only on the "untrue" claims from the McCain campaign and don't even mention those from Obama or the liberal media.

Such as the claim by CNN's Soledad O'Brien -- this also from FactCheck.org -- that Palin slashed the special education budget in Alaska by 62%. It's a lie -- Palin increased the special education budget, nearly tripling it, according to FactCheck.

Or the nasty, personal attack on Palin just yesterday by Joe Biden, implying that if she really cared about her special needs child, she would believe in funding stem cell research. Oh, sure, there were denials all around by the Obama camp, but it was very clear what he was implying. That is the single nastiest comment of this entire campaign season -- the only one about a candidate's child.

Your editorial also conveniently omits mention of FactCheck's write-up on Obama's lies in his acceptance speech. FactCheck found that:

1. Obama "twisted McCain's words" about Afghanistan.
2. Obama's plan would result in lower taxes for 81% of US households, not 95%, as Obama claims. There is a hidden tax in Obama's plan that he consistently fails to mention.
3. He intentionally distorted McCain's comment about defining rich as making "over $5 million a year." FactCheck found that McCain was clearly joking when he said that.
4. Obama criticizes McCain for voting with Bush 90% of the time, but fails to note that he himself votes with his own party 97% of the time.

You would have been a lot more believable if you'd pointed out the distortions by BOTH campaigns, and then asking, "Does the truth matter anymore?" But you failed... your liberal partisan bias is showing.

Indeed, Mr. Dionne, does the truth matter anymore? Perhaps that's a question you should be asking yourself.

When the hardcore Obama haters spread false rumors about him not being born
in the U.S, he fought back and he justifiably whipped out his Hawaii U.S birth certificate.

The simplest thing to do was to show Trig Palin’s genuine birth certificate, with the parents’ names, hospital name and doctors name who delivered Trig.

A baby’s birth certificate is public record that can easily made available for public viewing with the parent’s permission.

The wickedly selfish thing to do, would be to forcefully bring out your teenage
daughter's pregnancy as red meat to quell the “who is baby Trig’s mama” rumors.

Protect the privacy of your teenage daughter why announce to the whole world such a private matter?

Because as reported by the press, even Gov. Palin’s staff and other close associates did not even know that she was pregnant until a month before she supposedly delivered Trig.

Throwing your own teenage daughter privacy under the bus for political points is dishonorable and evil.

For some time now, the first item of business of the left was to establish that the President has lied. They have gone through enormous contortions of logic and fact to arrive at that point - the high ground of rhetoric. Then they use that as their main point forever.

After a while, we don't believe anyone about anything.

Especially not EJ.

The Word of God:
Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness.

Their biggest lie? Their claims to be Christians.

For some of you who do not know any better. Both parties are full of liars (include the drive by media also)there are such things as promises that get broken, for all politician who run for a public office. Most of the public does not know enough about what is really going on, so politicians will hoodwink the voting public at the drop of a hat. Take off the blinders and get to the real truth about all of the candidates who run for a public offfice. Just take a good look at the current senate and congress, and who is doing what. I do not think that there is one individual in there that is pure as the driven snow.

The press tiptoes around the lies. What is the mystery then that the McCain campaign takes the opportunity to generate one more lie after another? And as many here have noted, we've been pre-conditioned for this garbage by at least the previous eight years of fear-mongering and lying that has given us, already, "homeland security," WMD, Mission Accomplished, Browine you're doing a great job, we didn't leak the ID of the CIA operative, we're going to make New Orleans better than before...and on and on. With an *embedded* news media.

I am confused, someone help me. I keep looking at the stage. Who's running for President on the McCain ticket? McCain, Sarah Palin or Todd Palin??? All three appear to be signing autographs, shaking hands, et.. When will we get the Todd Palin speech, or does he speak at all??? Perhaps he is waiting his turn when listeners get sick of the same canned version his wife peddles daily. Also think if the Straight Talk Express is going to send McCain's daughter out on talk shows they better teach her that 4,155 families in this country might be interested to know that only her family knows the pain of war! Shame!

The Press is our final bulwark for freedom and truth--There can be many opinions but only ONE SET OF FACTS! Republicans DO NOT CARE-They want to hold POWER and will do or say anything to maintain it.

We are not just talking about the next 4 or 8 years--the next President will appoint at least 2-4 SUPREME COURT JUSTICES!

The fundamental direction of this country is either going to be Antonin Scalia with lapdog Clarence Thomas by his side or one of progress.

Look at your children and their children to come:
WHAT KIND OF AMERICA WILL T YOU LEAVE THEM?

WAKE UP!

In politics, the first lesson learned....LIE!!!

Don't politicians even bother about the appearance of truth anymore?

Never let the facts stand in the way of a good story. That is what McCain's campaign manager really meant when he said the issues do not matter.

The truth would matter, if only the media called out politicians on their untruths. Instead, we are witnessing the decline of the world's greatest democracy into oligarchy.

The selfishness of these businessmen who run these giant media companies, is stunning.

at that age, why dont we let the parents teach them about sexual preditors ,and in- appropriate touching. if not call the class something else,like, how to recognize bad people 101.

WaPo,please stop prostituting yourself for the Obama camapign. There is absolutely no balance in your stories. BOTH sides lie and Barack is no exception. He's told a ton of whoppers so far. This is politics, and I haven't seen an elcetion cycle yet where both sides did not stretch the truth.
So if you are going to talk about who's lying lets balance it out.

"Actually evaluating cost before a project starts and assessing that it will be too much and then making decision to not go forward -- even though 30 million was available? "

It wasn't $30 million, it was nearly $300 million. $273 million to be exact. And they still used around $40 million to build a road to the beach even after the bridge was cancelled. So you got a road to nowhere instead.

Sex education in kindergarten? Sure! I imagine that lots of kids have heard the story of Noah and the animals going "two by two" onto the Ark.

I think that even right wingers in churches are obscene enough to teach this form of sex education to kindergarteners! Since this is so controversial an idea, perhaps parents should keep their kids out of churches.

The left always takes a page from the Stalin playbook on how to win an election. Lie, lie, lie, use race card, use race card, lie, lie, lie.

I seem to remember when Bush's ratings were in the 90's because people believed he told the "truth". Clinton was impeached because he lied. Bush and Reagan lied about many things, including the Iran/Contra affair. Obama flat out lied about his lobbying activities and how he voted in the Illinois Senate.

An informed voter goes further than what the local news and the WaPo tells them---they read more sources and research for themselves. It's called critical thinking skills people, use them!

Let's face it. Republicans are just better liars than democrats. They started the tradition with Richard Nixon, perfected it under Ronald Reagan, and the Bushies, by then well learned in the "family values" tradition, just followed the example of their "american idols." They are better at convincing the blue-collar and scoccer moms that they are right and democrats are wrong. Sara Palin typifices the smart-ass, belittle everyone who thinks differently, everyone else is evil (but don't look under my sheets) attitude that has come to define conservative rhetoric in this country. If the McCain/Palin ticket wins, I no longer will have any pity on the working class fools who keep buying the crap that comes out of the republican's mouths in order to win elections and then snuff out their butts in the eyes of those who supported them during the election.

Well, I guess this lies and half-lies has surfaced because some GOP strategiest (who was involved in the Bush campaigns) looked at the past campaigns and concluded: going dirty pays of. The ecvation rests on the assumption that people aren't interested in facts but in a good story. And a good story (at least from a Hollywood perspective) usually contains violence or sex.
Hitting the opponent as hard as you can with derogatary statements qualifies as violence. The issues? Oh, that stuff is boring, lets have a fun bar fight instead.
Should camp Obama respond they can point finger and say: "Look the Messiah is no better than the rest of us!"
Perhaps it isn't so strange that people who has followed the election race closely turns cynical after a while.

"There is really no appropriate level of sex education for children in kindergarden."

My child had "sex education" in first grade. I had to sign forms permitting her to have it. It's called "family life" or something similar. You know what it is? It is teaching the children what the proper names for their genitals are, the physical differences between boys and girls, and what inappropriate touching is. They did not teach anything about reproduction.

Do you or others here think that is wrong?

Truth, from Jay Leno:

"Well, here's a little known fact from the Republican convention. This is kind of interesting. You know the confetti they dropped at the end? That was made from the actual Constitution of the United States."

Maybe when the press decides to start actually calling these thing lies, then we can start on a road to rehabilitation. Normally they like to point out that the other side disagrees without saying the candidate lied. Why? Why so affraid of using the one word that really defines what they do? The press's rush to "fair and balanced" has undercut their credibility. Perhaps by calling a pig in lipstick a pig, finally, we will start to call lies what they are, lies.

"How exactly did they propose teaching 5 year old kids what an inapproriate touch was?

I'd like to see that picture book."

Uh... how about, "kids, don't let anyone other than your parents (doctor, nurse..) touch you between your legs, where your private parts are." Issue solved. No picture book involved.

Sheesh, cretins these days.

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
Edmund Burke

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFncc3QqZB8 interviews with the man who pulled McCain out of the water and the warden of the prison raises questions about McCain's story. It is either the truth or someone swiftboating him, which would be poetic justice for what was done to Kerry.

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
Edmund Burke

Vote for Obama!

I find it interesting that Mr. Dionne takes issue with McCain's "lies" mischararacterizing Obama's policies in a negative way and then turns around and furthers one mischaracterizing an Obama policy in a positive way - calling his middle class tax credits (which amount to nothing short of middle class welfare) tax "cuts" is just as devious as calling his "age appropriate" sex education..."sex education..."

This blog, and most others, show why Obama will never win. He thinks the citizens of the US aren't stupid.
He's dead wrong.

In my opinion John McCain is a con artist, always has been always will be. It is becoming to be quite difficult to determine who is the POTUS candidate, McCain or Palin. Why is there no discussion of the issues, just Obama smears? White women, with their lust for a woman POTUS, are leading this country down a primrose path which could very well bring about OUR demise.

When John McCain was battling Mitt Romney, he came up with a nifty way to put the kibosh on Romney's claim to be a change agent--He granted him the mantle of change and discredited the very notion by pointing to Romney's flip-flops to devastating effect [ie, Romney HAS changed. . .]. Obviously, McCain knows this is all just politics, but, giddy with the new-found enthusiasm for his campaign that Sarah Palin brings, he is perfectly willing to ride the wave all the way in without regard to truths that get swamped--after all, the water will go out again, no permanent 'flooding' will occur.

The problem for McCain with this line of attack is that, in choosing Sarah Palin, he may have found someone who actually BELIEVES all the boilerplate mythology that was so quickly erected around her. He'd better hope that no more "truth" gets out because there is no "there" there.

Obama cannot worry about voters who don't want to know the truth, but he can keep telling the truth and hope that the curtain gets drawn aside on this latest incarnation of "the big lie."

We had eight years of lies, how did that work out?

There ought to be headlines 2 inches high across the top of every newspaper in the country shouting LIE LIE LIE

There ought not to be one more moment of tv time on a campaign stop or rally until McCain admits the lie.

But the media is more interested in snagging the attention for themselves.

McCain is the ugliest politician I've ever seen (in almost 50 years of living). It's apparent now he will tell ANY LIE to cripple his opponent.

When the news first broke about Sarah Palin's 17-year-old daughter's pregnancy, Obama came to her defense. And THIS is how they respond. Folks, let's face facts even though I'm no big fan of Obama:

John McCain is trash, I can't vote for him.
I owe my children better than John McCain.

Every thing is fair in War and love and U.S. Election

Every woman who wants to keep her rights, safety, and equality should read the following:

Women: *Please* email this to 5 women that you know:

From:
Head of State
http://tinyurl.com/65qxee

Sunday, September 07, 2008

10 Ways in Which, For Women, Sarah Palin Is *Exactly* Like George W. Bush

1) Like Bush, she is completely against a woman's right to choose (in fact, she exceeds Bush in that she is against a woman's right to choose even in cases of rape or incest;

2) Like Bush, she opposes stem cell research to prevent fatal diseases in men, women and children;

3) Like Bush, supports the teaching of Creationism alongside Evolution in public schools;

4) Like Bush, does not believe that Global Warming is man made;

5) Like Bush, has supported abstinence-only sex education methods that have proven ineffective;

6) Like Bush, has virtually no foreign policy experience prior to running for national office--(in Palin's case, despite a 72-year old, chronically ill running mate)

7) Like Bush, has engaged in conduct that has resulted in current government investigation of her actions;

8) Like Bush, has made statements which indicate lack of knowledge of basic elements of the office they are running for (Palin, July 2008: "What exactly does the Vice President do everyday?");

9) Like Bush, has been sequestered to prevent her being asked questions that she has not yet been prepared to answer;

10) Like Bush, talks like a reformer--yet in her actions (i.e., relying on lobbying, supporting the Bridge to Nowhere before she was against it) acts in the most typical, all-too-familiar fashion.

H/T: On The Issues

Cite:
Head of State
http://tinyurl.com/65qxee

I think Obama should file a lawsuit. Doesn't matter if he won or lost--since it would take forever to move throught he system. Just doing so would, once and for all, pinpoint the seriousness of misleading and misrepresenting people...and it also might stop this unprecidented tactic in its tracks.

What the heck are we going to do if this becomes the NORM in political campaigning? How will anyone know who really stands where on what issue, why or how? Democracy is based on knowledge, not on spin!!!!

Republicans attempting to play "Daddy" yet again. Only we can protect you...
Be very afraid of anyone that doesn't look like you or perhaps lives in a different area of the world... "you know us"
"lipstick on a pig"- don't talk like that about our little girl. (who laughs when hunting... and wants to play politics)
We'll lower our taxes so that we can take care of you... if you're very good we may increase your allowance... of course we don't think you'll do anything useful or constructive with it so just go out and buy something for yourself (from one of our companies).
From a lifelong ndependent for real change

Sure the TRUTH matters, EJ the Demo hack. You see, some of us remember candiidate BILL CLINTON promising us a huge middle class tax cut when he was elected way back in 1992. BUT, alas....as soon as he got ensconced in the Oval Office (and even before he pulled his pants down), he announced (while biting his lower lip, of course) AND I QUOTE:

"I had hoped to invest in your [the middle class's] future...without asking more of you. And I've worked harder than I've ever worked in my life to meet that goal. But I can't."-- President Clinton, first Oval Office address, Feb. 15, 1993

SO SOME OF US WITH A BRAIN ARE A WEE BIT SKEPTICAL OF OBAMA'S MIDDLECLASS TAXCUT PLEDGE - CAN YOU BLAME UP HACK, errrr, I mean EJ? 8-)

Folks . . .Obama did not refer to Palin as a pig in lipstick. Rather, he was simply using the same words that John McCain used (October 2007) to describe Hillary Clinton's healthcare platform. He basically was trying to state how John McCain and his Rove style politics are more of the same. This is the problem! When will the American people wake-up. You can not run on "change," yet stand for the same failed policies. Simply put, the Republican party can't run on the issues. E.J. is right . . .since when did lies become the truth . . .and are we as citizens that unsophisticated to not understand fact from fiction?

Sure the TRUTH matters, EJ the Demo hack. You see, some of us remember candidate BILL CLINTON promising us a huge middle class tax cut when he was elected way back in 1992. BUT, alas....as soon as he got ensconced in the Oval Office (and even before he pulled his pants down), he announced (while biting his lower lip, of course) AND I QUOTE:

"I had hoped to invest in your [the middle class's] future...without asking more of you. And I've worked harder than I've ever worked in my life to meet that goal. But I can't."-- President Clinton, first Oval Office address, Feb. 15, 1993

SO SOME OF US WITH A BRAIN ARE A WEE BIT SKEPTICAL OF OBAMA'S MIDDLECLASS TAXCUT PLEDGE - CAN YOU BLAME UP HACK, errrr, I mean EJ? 8-)

This one is a no-brainer:

If I want the truth, I don't rely on the media.

Period.

Here is my suggestion for a rebuttal commercial:

Narrative:
“Recently John McCain made a commercial that falsely claimed Barack Obama voted for legislation to teach sex education to kindergärtners. The real truth is that the legislation specifically called for teaching kindergärtners the dangers of inappropriate touching and to warn them about sexual predators (show film of McCain rubbing Palin’s daughter and boyfriend’s arms at airport). Now, there can only be two reasons why Mcain would lie about this important issue:
1. He wants to be president so bad that he'll say anything (even if it's not the truth) to get elected, or,
2. He believes its OK to NOT protect little kids from sexual abuse.
That’s not putting country first, and it kind of makes you wonder….."
Fade out.

The problem with EJ dishonest and false article is that is misses the secondary impact of taxes.

Taxes on a business do not matter to an individual, UNLESS that individual buys anything from a business, gets a paycheck from a business... This simpleton mentality that tax consequences to not flow through to the consumer is the big lie of this campaign, and EJ is the one telling it.

"This one is a no-brainer:

If I want the truth, I don't rely on the media.

Period."

I would remove the period and add modify the quote to read;

This one is a no-brainer:

If I want the truth, I don't rely on the media nor any politician

As a state senator in Illinois, Obama did vote for but was not a sponsor of legislation dealing with sex ed for grades K-12.

The statement in the article is what it is.
E.J. you need to report news not be a partisan hack like the title basically says.
The Post should just change it's name to Post partison.

Why does John McCain hate Kindergarteners?
Does he not want them to know when someone means them harm?

GOP...serving up lies daily since 2000...

Sure the TRUTH matters, EJ the Demo hack. You see, some of us remember candiidate BILL CLINTON promising us a huge middle class tax cut when he was elected way back in 1992. BUT, alas....as soon as he got ensconced in the Oval Office (and even before he pulled his pants down), he announced (while biting his lower lip, of course) AND I QUOTE:

"I had hoped to invest in your [the middle class's] future...without asking more of you. And I've worked harder than I've ever worked in my life to meet that goal. But I can't."-- President Clinton, first Oval Office address, Feb. 15, 1993

SO SOME OF US WITH A BRAIN ARE A WEE BIT SKEPTICAL OF OBAMA'S MIDDLECLASS TAXCUT PLEDGE - CAN YOU BLAME US MR DEMO-HACK, errrr, I mean EJ? 8-)

McCain said his support of the unpopular "surge" was evidence that he wouldn't lose a war just to win an election. However, by his campaign tactics, including obfuscating the truth, he apparently is willing to lose his integrity in order to win the election. What a price to pay for power.

can you be a dem partison and always tell the truth...I think not...you lie, so the truth apparently in politics doesn't matter, what matters is what sticks...

I don't understand how these obvious lies and attempts to mislead are so successful in a society of free thinking, mostly educated people?

I am really confused and frustrated because as an ordinary citizen I don't know what to do. I uphold honor and truth and I don't understand what I can do to help rectify the current situation. I rely on the press to really hold these politicians to fire -- why isn't the press outraged and doing more?

Why does John McCain not want children warned about Sexual Predators?
Why does he support Sexual Predation?

EJ

We all know you are in the tank for Bam

You failed to point out that both Bam and Smoking Joe voted twice to fund the bridge to no where. If they are going to be that stupid of course anyone would build a bridge. So would you

Can we really trust Mc Cain and Palin after the outright lies and half truths? Is this really a change from past Republican campaigns? Are Mc Cain and Palin really mavericks and leaders of change?

I see the Mc Cain campaign making up issues that really don't matter and are not real. The sign of a desparate campaign?
A law to protect children from predators described as sex education for little children? Anything said by the Democrats is an attack on Palin?

Give me a break! I have just decided to vote for Obama because he is the lesser of two evils. Mc Cain and Palin have no honor left or credibility. This mess really has to stop! WE NEED REAL ANSWERS TO REAL ISUES - NOT THIS. Mc Cain, you have spent all of the honor you earned as a POW. You forget the dishonorable way you treated your "first" family. You turn on those who you claim to support - whether it is your first family or Presdent Bush. "You would rather lose an election than" what? You deserve to lose for your actions. Palin is entertaining, but has no real experience and cannot be trusted with running our country. Biggest state in the US? Give me a break! We have cities in our state with many times more people than her whole state.

Your election means more of the same and the continual abuse of the middle class and poor.

Take your sad self home and leave the country alone.

Joan,

As it can sometimes be the parents and relatives engaging in "inappropriate touching" , perhaps it is a good idea to have a third party address these issues in an "age appropriate" manner in school as Obama proposes

"Obama said he'd run a clean campaign and he's doing so. McCain said the same thing. I invite everyone to re-watch the first three days of the Republican convention and see how "clean" folks like Lieberman and Giuliani and yes, Palin were. Then watch Obama's acceptance speech at Invesco. That should be the last word you really need on this election."

It should be, but it's actually the sad, sad story of yet another highly-qualified Democratic candidate taking a beating at the hands of demonic thugs who know that the truth is overrated, and that lying really works.

The unpleasant truth is that most people aren't very intelligent, and even more lack critical thinking skills. The Republicans know this and work with this very comfortably. The Democrats keep wishing it weren't so. People can easily be manipulated into voting time and again against their own best interests. Unfortunately, once again we will likely get the government they deserve.

The truth doesn't matter any more. Big lies, distractions, disinformation, and throwing enough crap against the wall that some of it sticks are what will decide this election.

Three quick points:
1) The ad really makes the point that Sen. Obama has made no mark on education; neither the writer nor the handwringing emailers challenge that point.
2) Mr. Dionne points out that Sen. Obama did not sponser the bill. Sadly, Mr. Obama has generated almost no legislation, ever, but if he had used his Harvard education to good effect, he could have proposed modifications to the bill, particularly since he voted for it.
3) Mr. Dionne questions Governor Palin's record on "pork," but fails to cite Sen Obama's record - oversight or "Doesn't the Truth Matter Anymore."

Sure the TRUTH matters, EJ the Demo hack. You see, some of us remember candidate BILL CLINTON promising us a huge middle class tax cut when he was elected way back in 1992. BUT, alas....as soon as he got ensconced in the Oval Office (and even before he pulled his pants down), he announced (while biting his lower lip, of course) AND I QUOTE:

"I had hoped to invest in your [the middle class's] future...without asking more of you. And I've worked harder than I've ever worked in my life to meet that goal. But I can't."-- President Clinton, first Oval Office address, Feb. 15, 1993

SO SOME OF US WITH A BRAIN ARE A WEE BIT SKEPTICAL OF OBAMA'S MIDDLECLASS TAXCUT PLEDGE - CAN YOU BLAME US, MR. DEMO-HACK, errrr, I mean EJ? 8-)

I am sick of the media. They are reponsible for the war with the wrong country.

Was it Ben Franklin who said that a democracy gets no better government than it deserves? We, the collective American electorate, allowed George Bush to be president for 8 years. Those who voted AND those who did not--the latter are culpable because the lies and incompetence were so apparent that Democrats only had to make the case. We got what we got the last 8 years by commission and omission. We can no longer expect the news media to sort out the falsehoods and misleading and vile statements--we must do this for ourselves. Do we have the will and the stomach? We will see Nov 5th.

,The republicans have stated this election will not be about issues. They have no interest in the truth their only interest is in character assignations. The repercussions for lying are non existent and the media’s complacency in this scheme is a major part of the republican’s calculation. With a 24 hour news cycle there is little effort to refute lies. The story is reported and the facts ignored.

This was the 5th government intervention in the last several months. In each of the past 4, the effect was that the market popped higher, and by the following Friday, the market found a new low. Every time.

For 8 years, we have been told that tax cuts are vitally important to a robust and healthy economy, and congress went along. It also went along with pretty much every single economic proposal, including deregulation everywhere, and we have seen zero evidence that any of it worked, and lots of evidence that it didn't.

We are told this one will be different, and I will tell you that this is the only truthful thing they said. First, Bill Gross at Pimco wrote an article only hours before the government announced its intentions, and that article implored the government to open up the treasury and convert all his F&F paper at 100% or he might wipe out all those retirement accounts he controls. This of course prompted China and Tom and Dick and Peg Bundy to demand the same treatment. His article probably embarrassed Paulson and Bernanke, and made their pitch to the public ring a bit hollow.

Paulson made a big show of the fact that common and preferred stock would not be protected in the takeover, and that was to prove the government had the taxpayer in mind. The goal was to not only protect the taxpayer, but it was to have the effect of lowering the interest rate on mortgage loans and provide needed capital to write new loans. "Sounds great!", so many said, and even Barney Frank said it was a good move that shouldn't have been needed if only people would have had faith in F&F's solvency and liquidity.

Which is interesting. What did trigger the takeover?

How about mark-to-market valuation of F&F assets? Hmmm. It seems a lot of their stuff was valued at zero. If there are any fund managers reading this, then your heart will start beating uncomfortably fast and you will get a cold sheen of sweat when I mention that you all have the same problem, don't you? The off-balance-sheet liabilities of all these big banks would crush them if they were held to the same accounting standards that F&F just had to use as an excuse to take them over.

That's right; I'm saying this was engineered by the government on purpose. Being quasi-government to begin with, and in deep trouble like every other firm, the government has used them as a vehicle to start soaking up debt. By far the largest amount of securities by value were F&F bonds, not their stocks. The F&F mortgage-backed securities (MBS) were explicitly backstopped by the government at 100% market value. This means the anyone holding these MBS's can cash them in to the government, and that made a lot of countries and companies such as Pimco very happy. Here's what else it means:

The taxpayer is paying China, Russia, and Bill Gross vast amounts of money.
The taxpayer is paying quarterly dividends to private investors.
The taxpayer is paying ever larger amounts of money as the value of their houses decrease. The more your property goes down, the more you will pay.

This is not State Capitalism. There is no known name for what this system is. It is something so obscene, Wiki doesn't have a name for it.

Now here is a fact that will make you happy for just a moment: you will not pay any higher taxes for this just yet. What will happen is the money being paid out will come from the infrastructure, from health services, from schools, from the military, from tuition assistance, and even from housing loans. This will of course lead to monetization of the debt and really ugly levels of inflation will ensue. There is no end in sight to the deflationary asset cycle we are in, it is creeping into the overall economy, and monetary inflation could end up coinciding with this. They would call this one not the Great Depression, but the Very Bad Depression.

This is your GOP at work.
Lipstick on a pig indeed.

McCain/Palin are concerned about sex ed ... perhaps Palin's daughter could have used a little more parental guidance? Lying, proselytizing hypocrites.

I noticed the main story yesterday in The Washington Post was how McCain has rocketed by Obama in the polls. Today we get treated to a large picture, above the fold, of an elderly woman, her face a picture of pride, as she watches the new media darling couple, John and Sarah campaigning (telling lies). What's next, a John and Sarah section, informing us, gushingly, of their every move?

The Straight Talk Express pulled into the station and John McCain got off of it. He's now doing the same kind of sleazy sheannigans that the Bush/Cheney campaigns used. And he's bringing change? No, Mr. Dionne, the truth no longer is a concern to the Republican ticket. It's a sad fall for a formerly respectable senator. By the way, with no disrespect to Mr. Dionne, calling out patented, bona fide lies should be higher up in the Post's priorities (like the front page) and not just here in the Opinions columns.

Sure the TRUTH matters, EJ the Demo hack. You see, some of us remember candidate BILL CLINTON promising us a huge middle class tax cut when he was elected way back in 1992, just as Obama Hussein is now. BUT, alas....as soon as he got ensconced in the Oval Office (and even before he pulled his pants down), he announced (while biting his lower lip, of course) AND I QUOTE:

"I had hoped to invest in your [the middle class's] future...without asking more of you. And I've worked harder than I've ever worked in my life to meet that goal. But I can't."-- President Clinton, first Oval Office address, Feb. 15, 1993

SO SOME OF US WITH A BRAIN ARE A WEE BIT SKEPTICAL OF OBAMA'S MIDDLE-CLASS TAX CUT PLEDGE - CAN YOU BLAME US, MR. DEMO-HACK, errrr, I mean EJ? 8-)

EJ-

Thank you.

I was a McCain supporter in 2000. I miss the guy I supported then.

The Republican machine figured out how to use the media to propogate lies and that's how we got such things as the invasion of Iraq. But I figured that was just George Bush. Now McCain is using the Bush people.

They have no shame. They have no scruples. And that so many would suddenly support the McCain-Palin ticket for no reason other than that Palin can deliver a speech written by others mocking the very people McCain says he loves to work with simply stuns me. I fear for our nation.

Thank God someone is calling them on it. Maybe it will get the Republicans to thinking about reforming themselves so that in 12 or 16 years I can consider voting for them again.

The truth stopped on 9.11.01. What matters is how your message is received, and if you repeat the lie long enough, often enough, it gets internalized and becomes the new truth. Hopefully not when you know the real truth..

George Orwell, move over - John and Sarh are building the new truthspeak.

Unfit to command, in my opinion.

Looks like we will need to build the "bridge to no where" after all if Palin / Mc Cain win the election. That is where they will take us!

Think about it.

There was a time when honor defined those who sought to be our nation's leaders. But that honor does not exist anymore in a party defined by Atwater-Rove campaign tactics. This year's Republican duo will look you in the eye and lie and keep on lying. You can almost bet that what they say about themselves is the exactly opposite and what they project on the their opponents is in truth their faults. Whatever honor John McCain may have gained in a Hanoi prison, he has lost in his lust for a Washington White House. Sara Palin is the most unprepared, out of touch, dangerous candidate for VP in my life time. To think she may be only a 72-year olds heartbeat away from imposing her view of "God's will" on the nation is frightening. Those who really lack honor, however, are the press. They are the ones who should report the falsehoods and inform the public. Unfortunately keeping up with Fox News and sensationalizing the trival has become their pursuit. What I can't figure is how American people consistently fall for the lies, distortions and hype.

Sure the TRUTH matters, EJ the Demo hack. You see, some of us remember candidate BILL CLINTON promising us a huge middle class tax cut when he was elected way back in 1992, just as Obama Hussein is now. BUT, alas....as soon as he got ensconced in the Oval Office (and even before he pulled his pants down), he announced (while biting his lower lip, of course) AND I QUOTE:

"I had hoped to invest in your [the middle class's] future...without asking more of you. And I've worked harder than I've ever worked in my life to meet that goal. But I can't."-- President Clinton, first Oval Office address, Feb. 15, 1993

SO SOME OF US WITH A BRAIN ARE A WEE BIT SKEPTICAL OF OBAMA'S MIDDLE-CLASS TAX CUT PLEDGE - CAN YOU BLAME US, MR. DEMO-HACK, errrr, I mean EJ? 8-)

What is really sad is not the facts that McCain and party are bunch of lying SOB's, no what is really sad is that this country is so full of stupid people who will believe them. The world is laughing at us and I don't blame them.

Well EJ, all I can say is that while these lies are going onto TV and radio, I see nothing in the newspapers, except from columnists like you, that these lies exist. When I see the Post or others have a headline reading "McCain Telling Outright Lies" or "Palin Lied About Bridge", there is no reason to be surprised that those spreading these lies have no fear of the news media exposing them.

A free press is what is supposed to stop lying from having an effect on elections. Karl Rove knows that a free press can stop his type of lying politics. That is why the McCain camp is putting pressure on the press and asking for "deference" to Palin's lies. If the media gives in then the liars win and America loses. The media needs to step up and do what it has not done in the past decade. DO YOUR JOB! EXPOSE THE LIES. And don't do it in columns, though I like to read the columns. This is news. Put it on the front page where it belongs. In the past a bold lie was exposed on the front page, why not now?

This site is a waste of time. You all can not see the forest for all of the trees, it is time we stopped fight against each other and turned that energy into fighting for the good of the country. If we don't then everything our forefathers fought for will be lost.

EJ-

A followup. This is at least the second time that the Republicans have played politics with child sexual abuse in a way I find appalling. [I note that one of my dear friends is a survivor of child sexual abuse from members of her family, so perhaps this strikes me particularly deeply.]

If you don't know of it, you might read up on the Rind et al. controversy. Several psychologists (Rind being the lead author) analyzed data on the long term effects of child abuse, using a standard technique for combining data across studies. One of their conclusions, in essence, was that child sexual abuse did not inevitably produce irreparable psychological damage. I find that a pretty hopeful message, personally. It is also consistent with both my Catholic faith and with my knowledge of psychology. The authors never supported pedophilia. But....the Republicans seized on this paper and argued it did. Truth did not matter. Eventually, the paper was condemned by an act of Congress, a move designed to put Democrats in the position of either voting for the witchhunt or being branded supporters of sexual abuse.

There are some things that decent people should not stoop to, and playing politics with childhood sexual abuse is one.

If you would like to read more, the American Psychologist did a complete issue on the affair in 2002 (March, I think). I'd recommend Lilienfeld's overview if you want to read a single account of what happened.

I miss having a Republican party I could respect.

John McCain is right about his campaign brings change. HE has changed. McCain is not even half the man he used to be. He is no longer a man of integrity; he has become a Bush/Rove clone. If you needed any more proof that McCain would be an extension of the Bush presidency, just look at his campaign. It uses the tactics of Karl Rove. McCain=Bush.
Bush=McCain.

John McCain is getting totally indecent and nasty against Barack Obama. Let's punish John McCain and his U.S. admiral father and grandfather who did not educate and discipline McCain properly.

With this ad, John McCain has proven that he has the mentality of a sexual pervert. His ad really sounded like an ad coming from a sexual harasser or a rapist. This is a serious sexual assault - the only different between this one and many other criminal sexual assault is that this one did not involve a human physical act of sexual assault or rape.

Has John McCain ever raped Vietnamese women in Vietnam while in Navy before he was captured? When John McCain goes this negative, who is going to honor his past record? Has John McCain's Navy admiral father and grandfather ever raped or authorized raping of women in the areas they occupied and taught John McCain that such behavior is okay? I would not be surprised if John McCain did really rape a Vietnamese woman while he was serving in Vietnam and his U.S. Navy admiral father and grandfather did rape or authorize raping women in the areas they occupied and taught John McCain that such behavior is okay. What kind of honor do they deserve when John McCain is playing so low and indecent and nasty?

The Republican Party is the party of sex criminals and deviants and closet gays who harass other homosexuals. Larry Craig is a convicted sex criminal and David Vitter, Newt Gingrich, and Ted Haggard are quite infamous for their sex lives. And I congratulate John McCain for joining these sex perverts.

Sure the TRUTH matters, EJ the Demo hack. You see, some of us remember candidate BILL CLINTON promising us a huge middle class tax cut when he was elected way back in 1992, just as Obama Hussein is now. BUT, alas....as soon as he got ensconced in the Oval Office (and even before he pulled his pants down), he announced (while biting his lower lip, of course) AND I QUOTE:

"I had hoped to invest in your [the middle class's] future...without asking more of you. And I've worked harder than I've ever worked in my life to meet that goal. But I can't."-- President Clinton, first Oval Office address, Feb. 15, 1993

SO SOME OF US WITH A BRAIN ARE A WEE BIT SKEPTICAL OF OBAMA'S MIDDLE-CLASS TAX CUT PLEDGE - CAN YOU BLAME US, MR. DEMO-HACK, errrr, I mean EJ? 8-)

"Thank God someone is calling them on it. Maybe it will get the Republicans to thinking about reforming themselves so that in 12 or 16 years I can consider voting for them again."

Good thinking professor but there exits a little tyrant named Vladamir Putin who just might see to it that you never get that chance to vote!

My child started first grade in Loudoun County this year. In that pile of paperwork the first week was a form allowing parents to opt out of age-appropriate sex ed for first graders. Now Loudoun is a pretty Republican place and if they're doing sex ed at this age ...

All you republicans need to do your research before posting on here. I can see the lies and unethical behavior run in the party. Its appalling!!

Palmetto-

See Ignatius' column for today. The Bush administration, to their credit, have learned some things about foreign policy. I credit Gates, likely the best of their cabinet members, for much of this. In particular, the Bush administration has taken a low key approach to confronting Russia. In their second term they've also been willing to talk to North Korea.

I fear McCain in part because he's been the rallying point for the folks who caused Bush's first-term foreign policy fiascos, rather than the ones producing some positive change.

Other than the Rovian politics and disregard for the truth, foreign policy is the single area in which I most want Obama to win. I note that I live in DC, so was here on 9/11 and smelled the smoke from the Pentagon. I also visited the WTC site not long after. What we do on foreign affairs is life and death to me and I am tired of slash and burn politics on it.

Sure the TRUTH matters, EJ the Demo hack. You see, some of us remember candidate BILL CLINTON promising us a huge middle class tax cut when he was elected way back in 1992, just as Obama Hussein is now. BUT, alas....as soon as he got ensconced in the Oval Office (and even before he pulled his pants down), he announced (while biting his lower lip, of course) AND I QUOTE:

"I had hoped to invest in your [the middle class's] future...without asking more of you. And I've worked harder than I've ever worked in my life to meet that goal. But I can't."-- President Clinton, first Oval Office address, Feb. 15, 1993

SO SOME OF US WITH A BRAIN ARE A WEE BIT SKEPTICAL OF OBAMA'S MIDDLE-CLASS TAX CUT PLEDGE - CAN YOU BLAME US, MR. DEMO-HACK, errrr, I mean EJ? 8-)

It's amazing our presidential election has sunk this low given the important issues we face as a country. The American voter is viewed as a real sucker by most politicians. Say anything enough times and those dummies will believe it. The only reason this type of smear politics continues to work is because many Americans are like politicians. Think about the smear of co-workers on your job around the water cooler on a daily basis. Americans love to talk negatively about other people. This ugly gutter politics mirrors in many way what the people of this country have become. Think about it!

Mark writes that Mr. Obama "Obama has generated almost no legislation".

This is true if you don't count the 136 bills since sponsored since 4 Jan 05 and the 659 bills co-sponsored.

Mark, Does the Truth Matter anymore?

McCain and Palin have declared war on the truth. It's your job, as members of the press, to fight back. If John McCain is elected, the lies will not stop. We've had eight years of this garbage, often aided and abetted by the press. It's time for it to stop. It's time for the press to do their jobs.

"We can demonize the Republicans. We can call them pigs and wait! We can call them pigs with lipstick! Ah Ha! Now, that is what cuts the wheat from the chaff!"

News flash for ya, professor.. McCain said it first, he was talking about Hillary, and if it wasn't sexist then it sure as heck ain't sexist now.

Truth is Palin and McCain made the right call when it counted. Obama and Biden voted for the 'bridge' funding even after Sen. Tom Coburn introduced an amendment that would have diverted the bridge funds to Katrina relief. Find it in official Senate records.

A significant fraction of the voting population likes a cheating liar who gets away with it. Because cheating liars get something for nothing, and those voters want to be on the side of those who get something for nothing.

People still believe Bush is a real cowboy, rancher because lazy liberals never have the guts or the time to challenge these liars.

Change the only Change MxcCain will be guilty of is changing his Depends three times a day. This man is set in his ways and is so treacherous he has stolen the Change message of his opponent. He wants to beat Obama with his own message. His audience of prospective voters is obviously people who do not deal with the facts and issues and are not really concerned with their best interest because if they were McCain ould not even be on the radar. It appears to me that Palin's daughter could have benefited from this sex education instead of her mother running around bragging about getting rid of the chef (who she re-employed in a different capacity) and that stupid lied about jet (which was not sold on e-bay) Yes, her daughter could have benefited and she would not be being forced to get married at 17 years old..How crazy is that. Palin sees no sin in the fornication because Bristol is getting married to someone who was just in the bed with Bristol for the fun.. Now that is a tragedy. Obama needs to fight back about this one...and all the lies that MCcain is espousing. It's time to KICK McCain's BUTT

Sure the TRUTH matters, EJ the Demo hack. You see, some of us remember candidate BILL CLINTON promising us a huge middle class tax cut when he was elected way back in 1992, just as Obama Hussein is now. BUT, alas....as soon as he got ensconced in the Oval Office (and even before he pulled his pants down), he announced (while biting his lower lip, of course) AND I QUOTE:

"I had hoped to invest in your [the middle class's] future...without asking more of you. And I've worked harder than I've ever worked in my life to meet that goal. But I can't."-- President Clinton, first Oval Office address, Feb. 15, 1993

SO SOME OF US WITH A BRAIN ARE A WEE BIT SKEPTICAL OF OBAMA'S MIDDLE-CLASS TAX CUT PLEDGE - CAN YOU BLAME US, MR. DEMO-HACK, errrr, I mean EJ? 8-)

I'm surprised that EJ Dionne is surprised.

In 1994, the GOP told voters that Clinton and the Democrats had *already* raised their taxes, and the voters believed it.

The truth should matter, but the media is still allowing
The Big Lie to be told over and over again.

The Republican party is clearly staying " On Message"
in a typical Rove directed disinformation campaign.

The Washington Post and every other news publication needs to stand up for the people an expose the truth
no matter what.

Obama is running scared and has given up on the hope he has promised to deliver. Now he just gives us different ways to spin the same lie.

McCain's lies are disgusting. What worries me is that Obama's ultra-gentlemanly, unflappable behavior (which I admire) is not helping to debunk the falsehoods that the Republicans are circulating. It is entirely up to the press to seek the truth. Will the press come through for us? Or will it remain infatuated with Sarah Palin's pioneer-woman facade?

Well, well Mr. Dionne,
You sound about as bitter and desperate as your parroting followers on these very comments. Where were you for nineteen months when Obama insulted the intelligence of the electorate with Wright, Rezko and Ayres, or Obama's contempt for our armed forces and their victory over al-Qaeda in the heart of the Middle East? When will "you" ask the tough questions about Obama's questionable place of birth; or did you just take his word for it?

Obama's whirlwind tour of Iraq and Germany (which was a flop) and his DNC appearance was supposed to propel him into a high velocity campaign from three weeks ago to November; but it just didn't happen. In fact, Obama's stalled numbers remained stalled then ... and then dropped. People who were willing to blindly vote for that unknown change are feeling uncomfortable, and are now asking questions; questions met by silence or the usual pre-orchestrated Obama hype that continues to say nothing. If the cold shoulder given by American military personnel abroad, and the lip service returned to Obama by Middle East and European leaders mean anything, then Obama is in for a big disappointment in November. Obama is out of gas and he has two months to go. Obama is already on record for being against nuclear development, against aggressive drilling, for abortion, for gun control, for tax increases, for talking to terrorist leaders, and for trial lawyer litigation; virtually “all” of the issues that would kill any candidate’s chance of winning the White House even if he wasn’t busy shooting himself in the foot. Even if Obama could label himself a reformer on these very core issues, the country is at a point where …no one… would believe him. I suppose Obama could still write a book after the election and even sell a few copies before they go to the discount shelf.

>

Sen.Obama wants to warn kids about pedophiles.
Sen.McCain says noooooooooooo.

I truly recognized the motto for Republicans during Huckabee's speech. In summary, he stated that I have worked hard to become rich, and I do not believe I should help those who are less fortunate.

I truly believe this is the mentality of most Republicans. I strongly believe that the other Repubulicans are consciously and unconsciously racist. My belief is not due to Obama being the Democratic Candidate;I simply believe that those racist individuals will support any Republican candidate b/c the Democratic Party has many African American supporters.
I do have to admit that I wanted to jump through the TV during the Republican Convention b/c I saw the hatred in the eyes of the audience when each speaker spoke of Obama. MLK there is still much work to do!!

"News flash for ya, professor.. McCain said it first, he was talking about Hillary, and if it wasn't sexist then it sure as heck ain't sexist now."

Except McCain was talking about one of Hillary's policy proposals, not the woman herself. That is why McCain's statement was not sexist while Obama's is.

Mr. Dionne- Shame on you--you care about the truth, and you even dare to ask,"Does the Truth Matter Anymore?" You should know better. You know the man who said he didn't have WMD lost his head, and the man who lied to the whole world is still in command--Commander-in-Chief of the most powerful military force that blew out millions of innocent lives. I know a judge in New York City, who not only let liars win, but also certifies that the person who lied before her Court dozens of times as "most credible" person she ever saw. America lost its moral high ground long, long ago--only naives like you keep believing in the hollow myth, and dare to ask,"Does the Truth Matter Anymore?" The rest of the world knows--America is a hypocratic nation, only naive Americans don't know it.

Sure the TRUTH matters, EJ the Demo hack. You see, some of us remember candidate BILL CLINTON promising us a huge middle class tax cut when he was elected way back in 1992, just as Obama Hussein is now. BUT, alas....as soon as he got ensconced in the Oval Office (and even before he pulled his pants down), he announced (while biting his lower lip, of course) AND I QUOTE:

"I had hoped to invest in your [the middle class's] future...without asking more of you. And I've worked harder than I've ever worked in my life to meet that goal. But I can't."-- President Clinton, first Oval Office address, Feb. 15, 1993

SO SOME OF US WITH A BRAIN ARE A WEE BIT SKEPTICAL OF OBAMA'S MIDDLE-CLASS TAX CUT PLEDGE - CAN YOU BLAME US, MR. DEMO-HACK, errrr, I mean EJ? 8-)

While the Russians are just thumbing their noses at the Bush Administration and vowing to keep troops in the 2 Georgian breakaway provinces, America is becoming the worlds laughingstock. Back in the Cold War the threat of a direct confrontation with Russia would rightly have dominated the news cycles and the world would have looked to us for leadership, instead although that threat exists today, the MSM is more concerned over fawning over Sarah "my daughter is a ho" Palin and John "I'm a ho" McCain.

CALLING ALL MUSLIM BROTHERS:

George Bush has brought American to its knees!

1. He has substantially weakened their military

2. He has destroyed the American Economy

3. He has destroyed American integity and Goodwill around the world

4. He has destroyed the Enviornment and does not believe in Global Warming

5. He allowed the United States to be attacked while he was president

GOOD BROTHER MUSLIMS YOU MUST NOW DRIVE A DAGGER THROUGH THE HEART OF AMERICA......YOU MUST VOTE FOR MCAIN/PAILIN.

Muslim brothers with the help of your republican brothers you can destroy America!

VOTE MCCAIN/PAILIN............VOTE TO DESTROY AMERICA!!

Muslim brothers your long wait is almost over....the evil Satan can be destroyed. Help republicans destroy America. You must vote for McCain/Palin!

ALLAH AKBAR BROTHER MUSLIMS!!!!

ALLAH AKBAR BROTHER REPUBLICANS!!!!!!

TOGETHER WE CAN DESTROY AMERICA!!!!!!

"What worries me is that Obama's ultra-gentlemanly, unflappable behavior (which I admire) is not helping to debunk the falsehoods that the Republicans are circulating."

Monica, turn up the volume on your television and you'll soon realize that while Obama might look gentlemanly, his words are anything but gentlemanly.

Sex education might have done some good up in Alaska. Maybe some of those Wassila kids would know about contraception and would not be bringing kids into the world while they are still kids themselves.

Does the Truth Matter Anymore?

This is not false naiveté: I am genuinely surprised that John McCain and his campaign keep throwing out false charges and making false claims without any qualms.

Unfortunately, I beg to differ - your question absolutely IS naive.

This is standard Repulicist modus operandi, and has been for 40 years. In the 28 or so years since the "News" business became primarily concerned with making profits, ditched everything except the pretense of being "The Fourth Estate (TM)", and became sensationalizing entertainment, this has become absolutely standard.

The McCain Campaign has no fear of repercussion because history has taught them there will be no repercussion.

Yes, we see lies flying all over the campaigns. It takes people with no moral compass to repeated lying and rationalize lies as truth.

But why the public are so gullible and sucks the lies up so willingly?

If, after eight years of Republican misrule, the American people elect another Republican to the White House, then we deserve exactly what we will get: more years of incompetence, venality, dishonesty, and failure to address our ever more serious problems. This could very well happen. History is littered with the dead and rotting hulks of empires that failed respond to the challenges of their day, preferring to live in the fantasy that their dominance would last forever without hard work or sacrifice. The voice of those dead empires is heard today in the Republican Party which has made itself the home for all those who are afraid their easy prosperity might be threatened by real problem-solving, all those who want to blame others for our situation rather than assume any responsibility, and all those who burn with anger at anyone who suggests that we as individuals, and as a people, need to learn, adapt, and change to ensure the survival of our country and our freedoms.

The foundational lie told by the McCain campaign is that he puts his country first, and himself second, when in actual fact he has sold his country down the river by abandoning his original positions on so many issues to cotton up to the Republican right wing and fundamentalist Christians. That tells you all you need to know about John McCain the so-called "Patriot" and John McCain the so-called "Maverick." If Republicans can parrot this falsehood successfully, then they have an excellent chance of selling us all the other nonsense they have been cooking up so energetically. We need to wake up before it is too late.

CALLING ALL MUSLIM BROTHERS:

George Bush has brought America to its knees!

1. He has substantially weakened their military

2. He has destroyed the American Economy

3. He has destroyed American integity and Goodwill around the world

4. He has destroyed the Enviornment and does not believe in Global Warming

5. He allowed the United States to be attacked while he was president

GOOD BROTHER MUSLIMS YOU MUST NOW DRIVE A DAGGER THROUGH THE HEART OF AMERICA......YOU MUST VOTE FOR MCCAIN/PAILIN.

Muslim brothers with the help of your republican brothers you can destroy America!

VOTE MCCAIN/PAILIN............VOTE TO DESTROY AMERICA!!

Muslim brothers your long wait is almost over....the evil Satan can be destroyed. Help republicans destroy America. You must vote for McCain/Palin!

ALLAH AKBAR BROTHER MUSLIMS!!!!

ALLAH AKBAR BROTHER REPUBLICANS!!!!!!

TOGETHER WE CAN DESTROY AMERICA!!!!!!

"Sex education might have done some good up in Alaska. Maybe some of those Wassila kids would know about contraception and would not be bringing kids into the world while they are still kids themselves."

Trying to figure out what you mean here. Sarah Palin does not favor abstinence-only education as is commonly reported. Read here: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-sexed6-2008sep06,0,5768481.story

Somehow the American electorate has become like an abused spouse. Every four years the GOP shows up with flowers and a new line of BS, 51% of Americans think "he loves me, he really loves me" and swoon into the nearest voting booth, and a month later we're back to 4 more years of abuse, theft, cronyism, incompetence and war for profit. Anyone who voted for Bush twice needs to go into therapy so the rest of us don't have to keep paying for your lack of judgment!

Look how can McCain Palin win
McCain = Affair
Palin is accused of having an affair too
HotPres.com So How can they win. When
Morality is sooooo important in an election.

I despise McCain, but the NYt did not write about him marrying into "an organized crime family" as Deep Blue states above. Check the link DB gives--there's nothing like that at all:

The New York Times did an investigation and called out ***Sen. McCain for marrying into an organized crime family***.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/23/us/politics/23mccain.html

only the truth as defined by Rove seems to matter. Rove is working behind the scenes for McCain as are dozens of Bush operatives.

They take the truth and literally change it to fit their agenda.

Yes . . . black men and s-e-x

Go to the voting booth this November, watch the returns, and pop some popcorn for this year's biggest epic: the end of America as we once knew it. McCain will quickly put the last nail in the coffin. I think Obama will try to move us in a better direction, but we're so far in the hole right now (in so many areas) that it may be too late.

Once again Dionne is all together deaf, dumb, and blind to anything Democratic. The Sex Ed AD needs to be listened to closely. It seems that EJ is guilty as he has always been: ding the Reps, regardless. I give him no crediblity at all. But as usual Lefties will give Obama a pass. It absolutely amazes me that writers such as a EJ gets paid for mendacity. But then again, I am talking about the WP. What did I expect?

When my kids were in pre-school, they were taught about good touch and bad touch, and it was appropriate. And yes, they were given an understanding of how babies are made, without going into graphic details. I can remember my 4 year old asking where babies came from, and as I hesitated, my 7 year old said, "The daddy puts a seed in the mommy's belly". The 4 year old said, "Oh" and moved on to something else. Yeah, they ask questions at an early age, and they deserve an age appropriate answer that is more informative than the stork myth.

They are now 22 and 19 respectively. I have no idea what their sexual lives involve, and I don't care to know, just as they more than don't care to know about our sexual lives. But whatever they're doing, no one will ever accuse their parents of condemning other parents for what our own children might be doing.

No, sadly, the truth does not matter. We'd like to think it does, but if it did then that idiot GWB wouldn't have been elected and reelected. I was very hopeful for this election until McCain's VP choice, but now I'm so discouraged I can barely make it to our Obama campaign meetings.

What's the cost of living in Canada?

The reference column title Post Partisan to post partum is difficult to miss. Maybe the WPO doesn't approve of a female candidate? Hummmmmm??? Well...maybe they do but they didn't like HRC either so go figure.

It was a bit encouraging to see CBS Evening News finally expose the Palin-McCain lie on the Bridge to Nowhere.
Will the rest of the MSM put the COUNTRY FIRST and reveal the truth about McCain-Palin's half truths and blatant lies?
If not, the US is headed for more of the same failed policies.

To Bob Miller: When McCain and Palin disclose the same types of historical information regarding themselves, then we can have ALL we need to know about THEM too. Just because Obama is black and has an unusual name, he should not be asked to give more information than any other candidate. Get a grip.

I believe it is time for Obama to call out Steve Schmidt and Rovian politics. Their names need to be in the spotlight more.
Their names need to be repeated constantly until they become synonymous with shameful lying and scheming politics.
They should become household names after this election, so that when someone attempts it in the future, the buzzword for lie would be Rove or Schmidt.

Mark wrote: "Mark writes that Mr. Obama "Obama has generated almost no legislation".

Chris wrote : "This is true if you don't count the 136 bills since sponsored since 4 Jan 05 and the 659 bills co-sponsored.

Mark, Does the Truth Matter anymore?"

-------------------------------

Sponsoring a Bill DOES NOT MEAN YOU GENERATED ANYTHING!!! It just means you put your name to something someone else wrote. Get YOUR facts straight! While serving as a Senator, Obama has GENERATED NOTHING!

This kind of advertising doesn't surprise me at all. More proof, if any were needed, that the not-so-invisible hand of Karl Rove is pulling the strings in McCain's campaign.
John McCain gave up any claim to integrity a long time ago by handing his (losing) campaign to these creatures. He'll reap what they sow--which is a campaign built on outright lies.
Hopefully the media will be more engaged this time around and not be frightened off by bullies like Steve "Bullethead" Schmidt and his pack of jackals.

OIFVetsForMcCain says:
"Well, well Mr. Dionne,
You sound about as bitter and desperate as your parroting followers on these very comments. Where were you for nineteen months when Obama insulted the intelligence of the electorate with Wright, Rezko and Ayres, or Obama's contempt for our armed forces and their victory over al-Qaeda in the heart of the Middle East? When will "you" ask the tough questions about Obama's questionable place of birth; or did you just take his word for it?

Obama's whirlwind tour of Iraq and Germany (which was a flop) and his DNC appearance was supposed to propel him into a high velocity campaign from three weeks ago to November; but it just didn't happen. In fact, Obama's stalled numbers remained stalled then ... and then dropped. People who were willing to blindly vote for that unknown change are feeling uncomfortable, and are now asking questions; questions met by silence or the usual pre-orchestrated Obama hype that continues to say nothing. If the cold shoulder given by American military personnel abroad, and the lip service returned to Obama by Middle East and European leaders mean anything, then Obama is in for a big disappointment in November. Obama is out of gas and he has two months to go. Obama is already on record for being against nuclear development, against aggressive drilling, for abortion, for gun control, for tax increases, for talking to terrorist leaders, and for trial lawyer litigation; virtually “all” of the issues that would kill any candidate’s chance of winning the White House even if he wasn’t busy shooting himself in the foot. Even if Obama could label himself a reformer on these very core issues, the country is at a point where …no one… would believe him. I suppose Obama could still write a book after the election and even sell a few copies before they go to the discount shelf.

>

Posted by: OIFVetsForMcCain | September 10, 2008 8:34 AM "

Sorry to see you're supporting McCain. One might think you would WANT the troops in Iraq to come home.
Guess not.

This year will mark my six decades of voting. I have voted for the GOP candidates and contributed to their cause in every election. I am a vet of the Korean, Vietnam & Cold wars and a participant in some way of each of them. I have changed my voting registration to independent because of the RINO John McCain. I have the utmost respect and admiration for Admiral McCain but neither for his son John. Why is John McCain mired down in trivia with Obama when a Russian dictator just recently conquered, and occupies, a sovereign European nation? Why is John McCain not warning us that Russia and China, two communist countries, represent the most awesome threat to our country in our history. Why is he not offering some indication that he is even aware of this threat and at least a smidgen of advise as to what we should be doing about it.

I have no inclination what so ever to vote for Barrack Obama because he is doing what a Marxist Democrat is expected to do. John McCain is not doing what a Conservative Republican should be doing in this very dangerous time; because McCain is actually making this election an outright farce I will not vote for him either. The SC Republican party has already anointed McCain as the winner in SC and he does not need my vote. If Alan Keyes is on my ballot he will get my vote. I do not want to spend the remainder of my short life on this planet regretting that I voted for a GOP ticket with two people at the top who are not qualified for the job but do put their egos ahead of our countries needs.

Well, during the primaries, Obama:

1. Campaigned heavily against NAFTA, but secretly said it was posturing.

2. Said that Clinton lacked judgment by voting for the war, but selected Biden as his running mate even though he voted for the war.

3. Lambasted Clinton for "supporting" NAFTA, but selected Biden as his running mate even though he VOTED for NAFTA.

4. Said he would take public financing, but then decided against it, when his fundraising was so successful (something he might now regret).

5. Said that the Selma protests brought his parents together, even though they were married before the protests.

6. Continued to use a quotation from Newsday, which quotes Clinton as saying NAFTA was a "boon" to our economy, even after the newspaper said that the quotation was in error.

7. Circulated Keith Olbermann's vitriolic video accusing Clinton of calling on Obama's assasination -- even though it was clear from the context of her statement that she was talking about something entirely different.

SO NO - THE TRUTH DOESN'T MATTER...UNLESS THE LIARS ARE REPUBLICANS.

PS: I AM AN ANGRY DEMOCRAT!

The extent to which the Right wing and the Republicans get away with lying - yeah; I'll say it; outright lying - whether in Office, like George W. Bush, where their lies result in the deaths of tens of thousands of irreplaceable, precious-to-God human beings, or as in the case of the various Angry Wealthy White Males the Republicans paraded across our TV screens at their convention before unveiling their photogenic media-darling, Sarah Palin, someone proud of her anti-science bias, proud of her personal abuse of nature, unrepentant of her obvious attempts to pressure other members of her Alaskan administration to fire her former brother-in-law, a misuse of Executive power we should all heed as an indicator of her potential attitude as VP or even, God forbid, President.

Lying is the Karl Rove hallmark, as is publishing base and repulsive lies via surrogates like the Swift Boaters, and as long as the news media - outside the editorial pages - continue to simply report - i.e. propagate - the lies instead of loudly, clearly exposing them, we're in for more national mismanagement and misrule.

McCain/Palin is an invitation to World War, further domestic economic ruin, and the institutionalization of Republican Rule by Lie(s).

Vote for Peace!

Vote for a new era of American technological Leadership in a global Green transformation, a process that will produce thousands of jobs here in the US as well as abroad!

Vote for Barack Obama and Joseph Biden in 2008!

Those of you trying to perpetuate this lie should be ashamed of yourselves!

The legislation was clearly meant to enable schools to warn children (in age-appropriate ways) against sexual predators.

Read it for yourselves...

There are some people here who talk about the lie that has been told about Obama's stand on sex education and that parents should teach their kids about sex. What about the parents teaching their kids about lying? If any children watch the news at all, how do we teach them to be honest citizens of this country when it has become acceptable to lie about and slander another person so you can get what you want.....the presidency? What example do we put out there for the rest of the world? Why would any other country believe anything we say or tell them when we so easily lie to our own citizens? It is a sad day when this is allowed and the media, who has the stage on which to dispute the lies, steps back and just lets it go on. I hope there are enough Americans out there who don't trust the media or campaign ads that they seek out sources that check the facts, not the hype and lies, and make an informed vote on November 4.

In ten short days Palin has shown herself to be a fraud and a liar and McCain is promoting the fraud at every turn. Palin was in favor of the Bridge to Nowhere until it was killed in Congress despite her support; she abused the power of her office as governor by seeking to have her sister's ex-husband fired and then firing the person who wouldn't fire the ex-husband; she paid herself per diem travel expenses while living at home. Hardly the record of a "reformer." McCain and Palin seem to think that if you tell a lie often enough people will believe it -- and the bigger the lie the sooner they will believe. E.J. Dionne asks if the truth matters? Not to the Christian fundamentalists who want Palin in office because she promises to increase government intrusion into people's private lives. Not particularly to the mainstream media which is preoccupied with generating "buzz" from superficialities like "lipstick on a pig" and is afraid to point out Palin's lies lest it be tagged as both "sexist" and "liberal." But after nearly eight years of lies from Bush the truth does matter to the American people. And Obama is right -- they are not as stupid as McCain and Palin think.

Well, this is what McCain gets since he has allowed Karl Rove to become part of his campaign. How come the press isn't questioning that? That's not change.

Well, well, well, lies continue to prosper. It is interesting that America is just so gullible and will support such. I guess we have dropped on wisdom and values. All it takes to attract us is false information and we are on it. John McCain will do anything to win. If he has that mentally now, what evil, vicious things will he do if he actually gets elected?

If you're a minority and you're selected for a job over more qualified
candidates you're a 'token hire.' If you're a conservative and you're
selected for a job over more qualified candidates you're a 'game changer.'

If you live in an Urban area and you get a girl pregnant you're a 'baby
daddy.' If you're the same in Alaska you're a 'teen father.' (Actually,
according to your own MySpace page you're an F'n redneck that don't want any
kids, but that's too long a phrase for the evil liberal media to take out of
context and flog morning noon and night).

Black teen pregnancies? A 'crisis' in black America. White teen pregnancies?
A 'blessed event.'

If you grow up in Hawaii you're 'exotic.' Grow up in Alaska eating
mooseburgers, you're the quintessential 'American story.' Similarly, if you
name your kid Barack you're 'unpatriotic.' Name your kid Track, you're
'colorful.'

If you're a Democrat and you make a VP pick without fully vetting the
individual you're 'reckless.' A Republican who doesn't fully vet is a 'maverick.'

If you say that for the 'first time in my adult lifetime I'm really proud of
my country' it makes you 'unfit' to be First Lady. If you are a registered
member of a fringe political group that advocates secession that makes you
'First Dude.'

A DUI from twenty years ago is 'old news.' A speech given without proper
citation from twenty years ago is 'relevant information.'

And, finally, if you're a man and you decide to run for office despite your
wife's recurrence of cancer you're a 'questionable spouse.' If you're a
woman and you decide to run for office despite having five kids including a
newborn… Well, we don't know what that is 'cause THAT'S NOT A FAIR
QUESTION TO ASK.

They also forgot one we discussed yesterday:

If you're a White Republican and went from rags to riches and got into all
Ivy League schools, you're a 'brilliant,' 'driven,' 'over-achiever' and 'living the American Dream.' If you're a Black Democrat who did the same
thing, you're an 'uppity' 'elitist' and clearly an 'affirmative action
recipient.'

Dionne, I'm stunned (actually, I'm not) that you didn't reference the following FACTCHECK.ORG piece in your article.

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/sliming_palin.html

Sliming Palin
September 8, 2008
False Internet claims and rumors fly about McCain's running mate.
Summary
We’ve been flooded for the past few days with queries about dubious Internet postings and mass e-mail messages making claims about McCain’s running mate, Gov. Palin. We find that many are completely false, or misleading.

Palin did not cut funding for special needs education in Alaska by 62 percent. She didn’t cut it at all. In fact, she tripled per-pupil funding over just three years.
She did not demand that books be banned from the Wasilla library. Some of the books on a widely circulated list were not even in print at the time. The librarian has said Palin asked a "What if?" question, but the librarian continued in her job through most of Palin's first term.

She was never a member of the Alaskan Independence Party, a group that wants Alaskans to vote on whether they wish to secede from the United States. She’s been registered as a Republican since May 1982.

Palin never endorsed or supported Pat Buchanan for president. She once wore a Buchanan button as a "courtesy" when he visited Wasilla, but shortly afterward she was appointed to co-chair of the campaign of Steve Forbes in the state.

Palin has not pushed for teaching creationism in Alaska's schools. She has said that students should be allowed to "debate both sides" of the evolution question, but she also said creationism "doesn't have to be part of the curriculum."

The so-called “News’ Media are not doing their work. This should not be news. Asking Palin to discuss policies should be news. The economy, the war in Iraq, in Afghanistan, foreclosures, education should be the news.

Like McClellan said if you the journalists did their job, we wouldn’t have gone to war in Iraq.

Shame on all of you. I am so disgusted. We are all going down because of a few “self-absorb” people.

Someone should ask John McCain, "Where is the honor in lying?" He seems to care so much about honor, why is he condoning his campaign's despicable behavior. He is at the top of the ticket, the buck stops with him. Where is the honor in lying? There is none. He is a tarnished and desperate old man.

The racist roots of the right wing are showing...How many more times will middle America fall for voting against their own interests by the Right Wing echo chamber? Sean Hannity running a 3 hour a day/5 day a week "Stop Obama Express" radio program on the PUBLIC AIRWAVES. This is hundreds of millions a dollars a year of free commercials for the GOP. Repeat for Rush, Michael Medved, Col North, etc

Sex education in the early primary years sets a foundation for later more indepth education. It includes lessons on taking good care of your body, family roles, treating people with respect, the names of body parts, and sex abuse prevention. It helps children feel good about their bodies, their gender, their families, and gives them age appropriate information. It teaches them "no, go, tell" about sexual abuse -- say no, get away, and tell an adult you trust what happened. It supports parent/child communication about these issues.

It DOES NOT include discussions of sexual behaviors or contraceptive methods or other information that would not be age appropriate for five or six year olds. The ad referenced in the article is supposed to scare viewers by conjuring up images of sexually explicit material being presented to five year olds -- nothing could be further from the truth.

Rev. Debra Haffner
http://debrahaffner.blogspot.com

"Boy, do I miss the old John McCain and wonder what became of him. And I wonder if the media will really take on this onslaught of half-truths and outright deception."

EJ, this is nonsense. You all have been duped. McCain is a fraud and always was. He's a POL!!!!! Pols lie and spin and act friendly, but they'll also sell their own mother to win.

McCain is actually worse than Bush, who never pretended to be "honorable". McCain managed to keep up this fraud for decades, all the while betraying people and cheating and lying, like his first wife, the Keating Five.

I think most of the press corp should be ashamed for giving hthis sleazy ruthless moron a free pass all this time. So wipe that BBQ off your fingers and start telling the truth about John McCain, the Big Phony!

Palin stopped the bridge!

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122100927525717663.html?mod=opinion_main_commentaries

Just like Obama did on the gas tax -- she changed her mind!!! You know, he supported repealing the gas tax before he was against it. There is nothing wrong with changing one's mind, after you get a clearer picture of the facts.

Isn't it just amazing that the Repubs who still hate Bill Clinton for his "lie" about a private sexual matter are pandering to the public with a lie-laden candidate? Talk about hypocrisy all you want. If this ploy works on the electorate, racism and the big issues will be with us a long time.

If we do not vote for genuine change this election cycle, we can hang it up. The country will be owned and operated by big business, the fat cats, and lobbyists. The government of, by, and for the people will be an asterisk in future history books. Like the decline and fall of the Roman Empire, America will have gone the same way because of an obsession with "sexy" and pre-emptive wars.

I guess that once you have already fallen into the spetic tank, you get used to the odor and it all smells good. Where are the smelling salts when you need them or should they just pull the plug on this charade now? I am usually an optimist. However, I cannot believe that America stands a chance of voting McBush-Paliar to continue an administration with a 30% approval rating.

Jane,

You are either being deliberately disingenuous or a fool. The bill called for teaching young children such things as "good touch" and "bad touch" so they would have an idea to tell the responsible adults around them if they were subjected to "bad touching". This is absolutely appropriate for young children and is the type of "age-appropriate sex education" that was supported.

Would you want a child you know to be subjected to sexual abuse or to have an idea that something is not right and speak to a responsible adult?

Howie Kurtz said that he was surprised " at how much great press Obama is getting"
With media like that ... why shun Jason Blair ???

Americans don't seem to care about the truth anymore. 80% say the country's on the wrong track and then they swoon over Karl Rove's latest smear.

The rest of us out here in the world are appalled.

"Obama is for sex education. He was representing a very liberal constituency and operating in a mostly liberal legislative body. His votes are going to be examined.

Deal with it."

Posted by: Anonymous

Lotta guts there, "Anonymous." How patriotic of you liars to bamboozle the morons whose education has been gelded by your education "system." But then, as Mencken wrote, "Democracy is the theory that the commonn people know what they want and deserve to get it good and hard." And you're more than willing to give it to them. How honorable.

It's a shame that the "straight talking Maverick" who plans to bring "change" to Washington is using the old Karl Rove playbook of making up lies to smear opponents. I hope some of McCain's supporters are taking note of this as this speaks to McCain's honesty and character. If he'll lie about this, he'll lie about everything else he's telling you on the campaign trail.

Jane,

The law Obama supported was aimed at warning kids about sexual predators and keeping them safe. Is John McCain against keeping kids safe? By his actions and lies, yes he is.

Yes there is age appropriate sex education. Last year my daughters kindergarten class had a presentation about what are "private areas" and what is inappropriate touching; ie. anything that is in your private area. They had a video and dolls. The talk wasn't explicit, graphic or nasty. I know because I went to school that day to witness the class. It was in a way that little kids could get. Just know what areas are covered by your bathing suit and those are your off-limits places. What to do if someone touches you. And no one can tell you not to tell your parents or teacher about what happened. Sex is more than just intercourse. People need to get a grip. No one is suggesting that intercourse be taught to your kids.

This is why Kerry lost and why Obama will lose: Both men are incredulous that a supposedly serious candidate for president would stoop to such juvenile, petty, misleading tactics, and are caught flat footed. By the time they realize that their opponent really is as scrurrilous as he appears, it is too late and they have been redefined into an unelectable caricature of themself. The GOP has made an art of this deception and, ONCE AGAIN, it's working. What a shame. How many times must the Democrats be fooled by this crap?

How exactly did they propose teaching 5 year old kids what an inapproriate touch was?

I'd like to see that picture book.

Posted by: New Mexican For Mccain | September 10, 2008 1:12 AM

Yes, I have no doubt that you would really like to see that picture.

WOW, the natives are restless. Thats good. We are finally hearing from Americans.

Here's my concerns. I don't think anyone thinks john McCain is going to survive a term as president, so if GW Bush wasn't scary enough for you, try this. PRESIDENT PALIN.

The Nazi party has nothing on her.

The McCain campaing really needs to be called on this by the MEDIA and the Obama campaign. They are flat out LYING. LYING. This honorable county first stuff is a totaly farce. And the American public is once again being DUPED. Just like Bush/Cheney. The Democrats need to take the gloves off and call MCcain a LIAR. And paint him out to be as such. Link him with CARL ROVE and others

This is such an example of how much McCain/Palin are no different than Presidents Bush/Cheney. How many times did they come out to the country and state bald faced lies with a straight face. They knew they were lying, we knew they were lying and the media did nothing.

Thanks to EJ. The McSame campaign feeds us sh*t and most of the media concentrate on the portion size and presentation.

Does the truth matter? Apparently not to republicans. You have to assume that they actually enjoy being made out to be ignorant dupes by the gop - it worked on those christian conservatives who voted for bush in hopes he'd outlaw abortion - and nothing was done. He was not a champion of those issues - he just fooled them into believing it. They're like the perverbial idiots that keep hitting themselves in the head with a hammer.

I think it's a disgusting display of the lack of integrity and character the gop has. What a shameful display - and the world is watching.

My respect for Obama and the way he has run his campaign grows daily.

The McCain-Palin campaign keeps sinking to new lows. They are lying, they are sliming, and they don't have any good policies or plans for America.

McCain wants to stay in Iraq forever, tax your health benefits, privatize Social Security, keep the tax cuts for the wealthy and trickle down crumbs for the rest of us, drill drill drill and build 45 new nuclear power reactors with no plan for dealing with the waste-- the list goes on. Enough with the lies and distractions. I hope voters aren't fooled again by the Republican party.

You have characterized this ad correctly. It is "truly vile." I thought McCain had sunk as low as he could when he chose Sarah Pain, who is allergic to the truth, but this is even worse. McCain supporters, are you proud of your candidate - a graduate of the Naval Academy who has no honor.

Calling it the "Bridge to Nowhere" is exposing your bias. It was a bridge connecting the airport to the city, and yes, nobody lived at the airport.
Posted by: Enlightened One | September 10, 2008 1:42 AM
------------------------------

I've been to Ketchikan, AK, have you? Calling it a city is an awful dang big stretch.

How can you ask this question after the Supreme Court installed W. as Chief Executive?

I would frame it another way - which truths matter, or rather, which "truths"
are factual.

Do the polls matter? Does the popular vote matter? Last time I looked, the Electoral College chooses the president.

If this election is very close, what are the chances that a technicality will determine the outcome? If that happens, who do you think it will favor? - The answer is obvious, I'm afraid.

How can you expect anyone to care about truth in a political campaign, when the process - fundamentally, structurally - discounts their viewpoint? The truth is, we don't really know how the popular vote determines the outcome, assuming they take pains to count votes with reasonable accuracy, which is an open question.

The truth does matter. American citizens vote in fewer numbers than citizens in other Western democracies. As a college teacher I can tell you that, through the years, my students do not believe that their vote matters and that it, possibly, could not be counted. Most believe that politicians will say anything and do anything to get elected. John McCain is willing to win an election, even at the cost of the national interest. Whenever he lies or "spins" (a politicians word for lying) the truth he is feeding the cynicism that leads to political apathy. His campaign and the Republican National Committee know this. They believe that if they can keep young voters at home, drive those who are political and economically marginalized to the sidelines, they will win. And, isn't that what McCain is all about, win at all cost, even if that means the cost of truth?

I work for JPMorgan Chase.

What do you think Jamie Dimon, our CEO, would say if John McCain or Sarah Pailin walkd into his office and laid out their resumes and said, "I want to run this company. Here are my qualifications."

Jaime Dimon would take one look at John McCain's resume and see that he graduated 894th out of a class of 899 cadets at the United States Naval Academy.

Sarah Palin has a BS degree in Journalism from the Univ of Idaho. Mayor of a town of 5400 in 1996. Governor for just 16 months of a state with a population less than half the number of employees at JPMorgan Chase.

Do you think Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JPMorgan, would hire either one of them to be President or Vice President?

The answer: Not a chance.

I work for JPMorgan Chase.

What do you think Jamie Dimon, our CEO, would say if John McCain or Sarah Pailin walkd into his office and laid out their resumes and said, "I want to run this company. Here are my qualifications."

Jaime Dimon would take one look at John McCain's resume and see that he graduated 894th out of a class of 899 cadets at the United States Naval Academy.

Sarah Palin has a BS degree in Journalism from the Univ of Idaho. Mayor of a town of 5400 in 1996. Governor for just 16 months of a state with less than half the employees of JPMorgan Chase.

Do you think Jamie Dimon the CEO of JPMorgan would hire either one of them to be President or Vice President?

The answer: Not a chance.

If McCain/Palin are so concerned about sex ed, they need only look at Alaska which has the highest rape & incest rate in the entire country, according to a guest on Countdown.

Posted by: GMS | September 10, 2008 12:37 AM

Highest rape rates? Maybe that's why Palin's police chief wanted to charge rape victims for evidence kits, after all, he "didn't want to burden the taxpayers" or sumfin like that.

As a mother of a 13, 11 and 7 year old - Here is my response to posters like "Jane" and the rest of you "OMG'ing" about "sex education for the young".

As an educator and mother, I, with my husband, went down the new and strange road of teaching our oldest child at the age of FIVE about such things as "stranger danger" and "no one can touch you or see you without your clothes on except mom, dad and doctor...and you need to tell us if anyone asks you... approaches you.... etc..." It's a talk all parents (hopefully) have with their young children so, as parents, you all know how that conversation leaves you feeling, "Did we say the right thing? Does he get it? Oh God, what if this the way to broach this...."

Well, by the time the next two kids came along - both girls - believe it or not, that "stranger danger" talk GOT EASIER! Know how??? BECAUSE OUR COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS DECIDED TO HOST OPEN FORUM DISCUSSIONS WITH OUR POLICE CHIEF, SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS AND INTERNET SAFETY WATCHDOG GROUPS with community/school PARENTS on the "IMPORTANCE OF" and the "HOW TO" of PROTECTING our children from child predators in public, in school and on the internet. THE PARENTS were engaged on this community level and THEN we, as parents, took this knowledge into our homes and presented it (or not) to our children at OUR discretion.

I would love for one of you with the perverse mind ("...modesty is but a shield against the eye of the unclean....") to explain how - HOW - placing the routine importance of "these are my private parts, you may NOT touch them!" alongside the routine importance of "STOP, DROP AND ROLL" is somehow UNHEALTHY FOR OUR YOUTH!

NEXT I would love to see Senator Obama parlay this vitriolic attack on his character into a lesson for the rest of the country when he points out how Alaska is a pretty flippin' good example of what happens when you DON'T educate children on protecting their bodies.

We're all up on current affairs here, folks, right? I mean, you're already well aware of that state - ALASKA - having the highest rate of rape and incest IN THE COUNTRY. It's pretty sickening.

I can't believe once upon a time I held McCain in a high esteem.

And I can't believe that, for some of you, it's such an easy assumption that anyone, any school, any legislator in this LITIGIOUS nation of ours would even FATHOM "your idea" of sex education being presented to our children.

Wow! Rove, Bush, and Cheney strike their mean little heads up again! I hate to think of another 4 to 8 years of them! But somehow the public believes their lies to be true...it's beyond me.

Sarah Palin's stance on sex ed seems to be working great with her family.

Since only the uninformed, slack-jawed morons(aka undecided voters) are swayed by this BS, why not make voters answer a few true/ false questions to prove they pay attention before they get to fill out a ballot. Nothing too hard or in depth, just enough to show you've absorbed some factual information in the last few months. Seems fair

Here's how to end it. At the first debate, Obama calls McCain on his lies and gets angry. Then see what happens. Best case, McSame blows his top. Worst case, it gets universal coverage.

I work for JPMorgan Chase.

What do you think Jamie Dimon, our CEO, would say if John McCain or Sarah Pailin walkd into his office and laid out their resumes and said, "I want to run this company. Here are my qualifications."

Jaime Dimon would take one look at John McCain's resume and see that he graduated 894th out of a class of 899 cadets at the United States Naval Academy.

Sarah Palin has a BS degree in Journalism from the Univ of Idaho. Mayor of a town of 5400 in 1996. Governor for just 16 months of a state with less than half the employees of JPMorgan Chase.

Do you think Jamie Dimon the CEO of JPMorgan would hire either one of them to be President or Vice President?

The answer: Not a chance.

There is really no appropriate level of sex education for children in kindergarden. Wake up folks. When we will stop over-sexualizing our youth? Let them be kids, watch winnie the pooh, etc. This crazy stuff makes me question my previous support of democrat party candidates, and pushes me towards voting republican.

Posted by: djb | September 10, 2008 12:50 AM

------------------------------------------

The education they were speaking of for younger children was knowing what a "bad touch" was and what to do if it happened. Has nothing to do with the birds and the bees.

When did lying become ok? All during the Clinton years up to and including Mrs Clinton's campaign,lying was fine as long as it was done by a non-conservative. Why not get hot and bothered about the numerous lies from the Obama campaign?

To paraphrase an earlier conservative observer of Our Once-Great Nation, "No one ever went broke overestimating the stupidity of the American people."

Lies, BIG LIES, and "what comes out of the Republican campaign machinery," and The People believe it all. It's too bad the smart people can't secede from the dumb people who are buying the same load of kaka from the same load of kaka pushers once again. I wonder, if they could hear the Red campaign managers sneering and snorting and chortling over another success in getting the "stupid" crowd to buy into the latest disinformation efforts, those same cattle would do more than give an old "Dutch" Reagan twist to the head and say "Good ol' boys will be good ol' boys." Instead, they follow the old Judas Goat up the chute into the killing pen once again. One could almost believe that the Dems, besides being too decent and restrained by half, don't really want the hard job of trying to undo all the damage the Reds have done to America and the world, and come up with some better ways of making the planet work.

The problem with advertisements is that those people who are either too lazy, stupid, or busy to research the truth fall victim to the ad.

Republicans have always been masters at deception, lies, smears, half-truths, and corruption. Until Americans realize this, then Republicans will continue to do everything to ensure that they stay in power.

At what point does it warrant a frontpage headline in this publication that McCain and his handlers are eager and willing to lie to get elected?

CALLING ALL MUSLIM BROTHERS:

George Bush has brought America to its knees!

1. He has substantially weakened their military

2. He has destroyed the American Economy

3. He has destroyed American integity and Goodwill around the world

4. He has destroyed the Enviornment and does not believe in Global Warming

5. He allowed the United States to be attacked while he was president

GOOD BROTHER MUSLIMS YOU MUST NOW DRIVE A DAGGER THROUGH THE HEART OF AMERICA......YOU MUST VOTE FOR MCCAIN/PAILIN.

Muslim brothers with the help of your republican brothers you can destroy America!

VOTE MCCAIN/PAILIN............VOTE TO DESTROY AMERICA!!

Muslim brothers your long wait is almost over....the evil Satan can be destroyed. Help republicans destroy America. You must vote for McCain/Palin!

ALLAH AKBAR BROTHER MUSLIMS!!!!

ALLAH AKBAR BROTHER REPUBLICANS!!!!!!

TOGETHER WE CAN DESTROY AMERICA!!!!!!

Everything McCain says is true. He's great. He's a great war hero. Even if he lies, it's okay because in the long run he's only helping all of us.

Sometimes great people have to lie in order to get into a position to do great things for us. McCain knows this and this is why he is lying now.

Let's just let him keep lying. Let's let them all keep lying. Lying is underrated. Not lying is overrated.

I agree that this is Willie Horton all over again. It is looking like Obama isn't going to respond. He should respond with ads saying that Palin is pro-rapist and McCain is pro-pedophile. Palin wants to force women to carry pregnancies to term in order to give birth to rapist's children (McCain apparently thinks this is ok since he wants to reverse Roe and leave it to states such as Alaska to outlaw abortion). McCain doesn't want schoolchildren to learn about predators.

The Republicans want to make this a culture war, let's not sit back and let them have their way. Let's fight!!!!!!

Palin is a liar.

Obviously all these outraged comments come from people who "forgot" that their hero, Bill Clinton lied, supborned perjury, obstructed justice and was disbarred. I guess if you're a Democrat, nothing is a lie, nothing is a shameful episode, nothing matters except winning. If McCain calls Obama on all his lies, maybe Obama will blow his top.

For those of you who say that sex ed for young children should be taught by the parents - how do you propose to protect those children whose parents have refused to teach them? Or are they just throw away children who couldn't possibly be anywhere near your kids. Certainly, children don't talk about what they learn at home while they're in school so no worries - right?

Thank you for writing this. Lies and half truths exist on both sides of the aisle, but they seem to be disproportionately weighted on the side of the guy running on an ethics platform. (I'm referring to the guy who has decided in the last week that he wants change in War-shington).

Yes...the truth does matter.

Question: is any kind of sex ed appropriate in kindergarten? Frankly, I thought this was the kind of thing better left to parents.

Posted by: Jane | September 10, 2008 12:32 AM

Riiight. Because ALL parents are perfect and obviously ALWAYS do exactly the right thing for their kids. I don't suppose you care that the largest % of child abuse happens in the home or by someone the child knows. It might save a child's life to educate them in school that what their own relatives are doing to them is wrong.

Especially as more teens are being forced to have kids they neither want nor are ready for - kids and families need any help we can provide for them to live healthy well-adjusted lives.

whine whine whine....

How disgraceful of McCain. It would be a tragedy if such a man gets elected. All that war hero stuff has gone to waste. He has become an angry, malicious low-life. This is no maverick. Just a pathetic sleaze-ball.

McCain vs. the BoogieMan! McCain would have it no other way. He can't win on the issues, so he's trying, and succeeding to a certain extent, to win on narrative and smears. Palin as the attack dog has worked wonders for the McCain Camp, but the ride is going to be short-lived. I wouldn't even consider being bullied if I was a reporter. The McCain camp seems to think bullying the media has succeeded. And choosing Charles Gibson, who along with George Stephanopoulos took heat during the primary debates, looks to be a set-up: if he's too hard on Palin he will be ostricized by McCain supporters and women voters. But Gibson would NOT be doing his job if he let Palin off the hook. There's too many questions in her background, and too many questions surrounding her policy credentials, both foreign and domestic, that need to be addressed.

McCain Lying? Why should we be surprised? But his Pit Bull with Lipstick might turn into a whelping puppy who just got whacked for pooping on the floor.

If McCain and Palin win this election it will be because of the cowardice of the media. The corporate media is complicit in what has happened to this country and individual reporters should be standing up and fighting back. Otherwise Obama doesn't have a chance.

I think Mcain had been "learning about sex before learing reading;" therefore, "he doesn't get it" what Obama has been talking about sex education.

I hope Obama got this comment to show his voters that he "doesn't get it"

Thanks Mcain,

Smart President

McCain is a kid-toucher?

GMS, are you KIDDING us? This forum is for reasonably intelligent people; "according to a guest on Countdown" is not a very reliable source quote.

Do some research on Alaska - you might find that it also has the lowest murder rate in the nation, but the highest suicide rate. NEWS FLASH - that phenomenon is repeated in all advance societies in Northern latitudes...the point being that not all statistics can be twisted to exhibit some type of government failure.

Do yourself some learning!!

The truth matters for nothing in this most important election. McCain and Pallin are selling a bill of goods filled with worms. The sex ed ad is despicable and extremely unsettling because McCain is using it as a fear mongering tactic. This type of behavior is most unbecoming to someone who wants to lead the free world.

It is appalling that the media is falling for McCain’s stunt to keep Palin inaccessible. His decision to put her on the GOP ticket is only for political purposes – win the election any way you can. Palin presented herself as a tough cookie – a pit bull, gal, hockey mom – so she should be able to withstand any attack the Dems bring forth. The sexism cry from the GOP is truly crying wolf and I’m sick of hearing it. If Palin can’t answer questions on her own admonition, then she is not capable of being the VP. Her records and policies as Mayor and Governor should be examined with a fine tooth comb. She has already displayed a character flaw by lying about the work she did before the work she didn't do. Other than attacking Obama, they have yet to talk about the issues that matter to the American people.

The GOP is great with dividing the country into yours and mine. Terms like culturally conservative, our values, true American, and cultural divide are code words that say don’t trust a person of color. The GOP and many of those who claim to be Republicans show that they are intolerable of diversity. If the American people believe them and vote them into office, then America will get what it gets.

The ad doesn't come as a surprise to me in this kind of election cycle. Obama looked like he was running away with it two months ago, and now McCain has evened the race. Both are going to pull out the stops because at the end of the day, neither candidate likes the other very much. Yeah, that's right, it's personal.

Concerning smear politics, I think they destroy the chance of having intelligent discussions about issues. But they work, and that's why they're used. We Americans like to see a good fight--it's more fun than having a policy discussion about immigration. So, both parties just have to appeal to the lowest common denominator, which in America's case, is fairly low. Was it always that way? I don't know. Maybe it's a chicken-and-the-egg kind of thing, where the uglier politics became, the less voters were interested in the process, and the easier it became to just avoid policy discussions altogether. An interesting thesis topic, for sure.

Finally, public schools have been teaching young students about how to avoid sexual predators for years. They did it when I was six years old, for pity's sake, and that was twenty years ago. This should not come as a shock to people. And had I been in Obama's shoes in the Illinois Legislature, I'd have voted the same way. I don't want children to be at risk, period. If parents teach it first, fantastic! What's wrong then with some extra reinforcement from the schools? Nothing.

All those who are surprised stand on their heads.

I laugh now when I think back to the Cindy McCain interview this last Spring in which she promised that her Husband wouldn't stoop to the sort of disgusting Roveian style tactics that the campaign is now using. And gullible Americans are falling for the LIES again? What does this say about Americans who would rather give another 4 years at least to a party that has almost destroyed us? What does it say that Americans would rather give tax cuts to the top 2% of wage earners and not themselves?

For those who haven't looked at the comparison chart of the McCain/Obama tax plans here on WAPO, consider the following:

Those who make approx 67,000-111,000 will get a $1,009 tax break from McCain and $1,209 from Obama.

Under that income level it gets really significant since over 60% of Americans fall into the following income brackets:

Those who make approx $37,600-66,656 will get a $319 tax break from McCain and $1,042 from Obama.

Those of us making 18,500-37,000 will get a $113 from McCain and a truly significant $892 from Obama, and at that income level an extra $892 really means something.

Obama's plan will offer the best stimulus for the economy by gving most Americans significant extra money to pay for goods and services, and not counting on the Wealthy to boost the economy, which, after 8 years of steep Bush tax cuts they have clearly declined to do.

Question: is any kind of sex ed appropriate in kindergarten? Frankly, I thought this was the kind of thing better left to parents.

Posted by: Jane | September 10, 2008 12:32 AM

Jane, what if the sexual predator lives with the kindergartner?

Cindy McCain claimed last spring that her husband would not stoop to Roveian style tactics for this campaign...well so much for that, LOL. The problem for Obama supporters is our candidate's, and our, essential decency. The other side wishes to retain power at ALL costs, even at the cost of McCain's self respect, and to think that I once considered voting for him.

Now for the tax LIE told by McCain, for those who haven't looked at the comparison chart of the McCain/Obama tax plans here on WAPO, consider the following:

Those who make approx 67,000-111,000 will get a $1,009 tax break from McCain and $1,209 from Obama.

Under that income level it gets really significant since over 60% of Americans fall into the following income brackets:

Those who make approx $37,600-66,656 will get a $319 tax break from McCain and $1,042 from Obama.

Those of us making 18,500-37,000 will get a $113 from McCain and a truly significant $892 from Obama, and at that income level an extra $892 really means something.

Obama's plan will offer the best stimulus for the economy by gving most Americans significant extra money to pay for goods and services, and not counting on the Wealthy to boost the economy, which, after 8 years of steep Bush tax cuts they have clearly declined to do.

The truth is that too many Americans are soo desperate to the point they would rather side with an administration that has tore our lives and country apart for almost 8 yrs than to vote for an African American Male. It is soo sad that people cant see past the color of ones skin instead of what a person stands for. They would rather keep america at status quo...a horrible economy, high unemployment, high home foreclosures, no health insurance, high rates of homelessness and etc. And whats so funny that Ms. Palin has such a questionable past but its cool. Did they not dig under every rock to down Obama? Why should she be different? Hell thats the game when you decide to run for any type of political office and she should have been prepared for this. She whines about how she is just a regular Josephine trying to raise a family like there are no other people doing the same. Shoot for some of us under the Repubs administration its been even harder. I hope alot of these homemakers and independent women wake up before it too late. Just dont follow Ms. Palin because he claims to be one of us. Observe her and see if she really qualifies to be the next commander in chief because McCain is almost senile anyway so this woman will have to step up in his shoes if he cant do his term. And the thought of this is just to scary for me to think about. I can barely eat and feed my family now and the thought of another 4 yrs of possibly losing the little status I have now just gives me chills down my spine. I tell you this I am not a religious person but I am staying strong in prayer on this presidential race for sure!!

Let me get this straight. The straight talk express is all about lying. Yes, McCain and Palin will look you straight in the eyes and lie, lie, lie.

I thought that one of the moral virtues of any religious faith or moral people was telling the truth. Apparently, I have been naive a long time.

The same party that impeached Bill Clinton for telling a lie (under oath or not under oath, a lie is a lie) and said that it was so harmful to the U.S. Constitution that Clinton should be removed from office is doing what? Yes, peddling lies. Granted that these are only political lies. You know, little lies that help you win the election. The not harmful kind.

Well, let's see where lies get us. Lies get us into "pre-emptive" wars. First, this was a major change in war policy for our republic. The no-abortion-forever party does not mind the senseless slaughter of hundreds of thousands of human beings. The last time that I checked my Bible, after God created Adam, He said that it was very good. Humankind was formed in God's image. My Bible does not say anywhere that Adam was anything less than an adult male.

If there is to be true politics of change, then the truth should not be the first casuality. This in-your-face lying by the Republican candidates does not represent the change that we need. If they will lie to us about political things now, they will lie to us later. For some reason, I do not understand why the right wingers do not understand this.

The Republican campaign ads on TV not only lie about Obama's positions on the issues, but they lie about their own credentials for change.

Too many white people are so heppy to have an alternative celebrity, even one who lies, that they will support her. I say white people because as a white Southern male, I know that racial prejudice is playing a role in this campaign. Hey, it worked against McCain by the Bush campaign in South Carolina in 2000. You cannot tell me that that was not about race. The proof, as they say, is in the pudding.

At this point, there is a sexual bias in this campaign. The media and the Democrats are afraid of being accused of picking on a "female" candidate. If Palin is ready for primetime politics, she should be ready to take the heat from the press. The fact that the Repubs have kept her under wraps for so long speaks volumes. What are they afraid of?

Now, back to lying. Are people really going to vote for documented liars? These are people who are lying about political positions that matter when assessing the candidates on their statements about change.

Maybe some sex-ed would have helped Palin's daughter out.

The article you reference is part of the problem: "As for exaggerations, Obama said yesterday that he had supported a measure in the Illinois Senate to double the number of charter schools in Chicago. In fact, he was one of 14 state senators co-sponsoring a non-controversial measure that passed unanimously." In fact? How does that contradict the assertion?

"A McCain quote Obama has often used -- that the economy is fundamentally sound -- is months old. Since he said that, McCain has said almost daily that the economy is struggling." Yes, McCain has finally been forced to acknowledge that people are hurting, but has he really changed his position? See his convention speech.

The McCain campaign knows that it will get away with outrageous lies (like the sex ed ad) and insistent contradictions of established facts (like Palin's support for the bridge and other earmarks) because it knows that the press will present them in the context of falsely-balanced articles that suggest that both sides exaggerate or stretch the truth.

There is no comparison between Obama's sound bites and McCain's blatantly false assertions.

The press also falls for the false, distracting stories, like the "pig" quote. Every story about this fake issue is a victory for the McCain manipulation of the press, which would never show such deference to the Democrats.

Please speak out about this.

The MSM loves conflict and the Republicans like to give it to them in spades, so regardless of how egregious their lies, they won't be called on them by the MSM.

"Finally, public schools have been teaching young students about how to avoid sexual predators for years."

That from Adanielch

Yes.

It is lies that this bill was to teach that, as everyone here is saying. It was all ready being taught for years.

Bit ironic that those crying lie are the ones not saying the truth.

Thanks to Adanielch for being so honest.

Hopefully the Obama campaign will take a page from the Republican playbook and run an ad highlighting how McCain *opposes legislation to stop child predators* and emphasizing the *crusade against child sex abuse* Obama initiated while in the Illinois legislature. I'm a big fan of embracing the lie and turning it to your advantage, as long as you didn't invent the lie yourself.

Sad to say perception is more important than truth. The republicans over the last several elections are masters of creating perception and defining the conversation on your opponent.

They repeat a lie so much, people believe it.

This election will be lost by Obama. It is a sad testiment to the American people. Another shameful descent of our Democracy.

Here's an excellent article by Tom Friedman on this mess -

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/10/opinion/10friedman.html?hp

E.J....I love you! PLEASE keep speaking, writing about TRUTH! This campaign has hit new lows. Any lie is acceptable because the end result is the PRESIDENCY when we'll ALL speak the truth then...ahhh, sure. You always give us 'water cooler types' something to talk about.

So the world loves obama and because of that, some nut on this blog said he should run to rule the world. See, during this election with the country in these times, you have retarded suckbutt idiots saying stupid azz stuff like this. Dude, just walk out on a red light and do the rest of us a favor. It's incredible the level of just straight up lying McClame and his mistress is saying. Don't worry though, they are keeping her on a short leash since she is a pitbull with lipstick and can't even tell you what the vice president does. I know that the repugs don't want her to talk cause she's and idiot! You lames really like the fact that the republican party finally caught up with the times and nominated a woman so you all are running to her without even thinking for a second what she represents. I'm not talking to most men here, it's the women who for some reason just decided to lose their f&*n minds! You cried when hillary lost, saying how much you feel like your issues will not be addressed, like you know, CHOICE! You cried about your fears of education for your kids. These fears were legitimate and should've been the reason for your voice in this election, instead what do you do? You vote for the first pair of boobs that comes you way, forget she wants to take choice away from you, forget that she lied and still lies about EVERYTHING. Flash a pair of boobs and some of you FAKE Hillary fans run straight to her? So it wasn't about the issues at all then, you just wanted to vote for a pair of boobs. WOW, Hope none of your daughters are violated and ends up with child, better start buying diapers.

Elsewhere in the Post is a headline that suggests Palin is "...energizing women from all walks of life." What nonsense. Unless this means her selection has re-energized Democratic women and men, and many Republicans across the country, to defeat the immature,lying, hypocritical, and insulting-of-our-intelligence GOP ticket.
Adults know this is not a contest for junior high class president, this is serious business, and the entire world is watching. Kids, the adults are coming!

sex ed k-6, no thanks,
I'll take care of that.Ob should have picked that up and voted no.

Sarah Palin is the Republican Party's nominee for Vice President. But let's consider an alternative scenario, in which, rather than being raised by loving parents, little Sarah had been molested and repeatedly raped by a family member over a period of years and overtly threatened with severe punishment if she told anyone. She did not have the benefit of age appropriate sex education, so she never understood that she had the right not to be abused and could go to another adult for help. This is not some crazy notion, I know more than one woman who has suffered this fate.

Little Sara grows up doing poorly in school due to her repeated sexual abuse and, when she reaches puberty, becomes pregnant by the abusing family member. When her pregnancy begins to show she begins to be ridiculed at school and stops attending. She gives birth to the child. She did not have the option for an abortion because she had no money and also because extremist right wing Republicans had forced through a total ban on abortions, including cases of rape and incest. Teenage Sarah turns to a life of drugs and prostitution.

What chance does she have to become Governor of Alaska, or Vice President?

Is this the sort of world Sarah Palin would give us? If not, then the candidate should level with the American people and tell us precisely where she stands on early childhood sex education and abortion as an option for young women who have been made pregnant through any kind of sex abuse. Then we can all decide if this is the world we want for our children and ourselves.

In contemporary America you pick the lies that you want to believe. Sadly, the GOP has managed to paint the Democratic Party as "liberals" and "anti-American", their very own "Big Lie.". Those are two things that Americans will not vote for in great numbers. The truth has never been an effective weapon for God's Own Party. And it hasn't worked too well for the Democratic Party. Witness the last two, er, elections. After those whoppers, what do you expect? The country I grew up to believe in is gone.

My question is this, why aren't the dems crying foul and coming to the aid of their fellow dem? It appears that he is on his own. Where is Joe Biden? He should be out front on this, not Obama. Look, John McCain is sitting back and benefitting from the STUDPIDITY of the fractured, confused and frankly, timid party, who is afraid to speak up. Let's get to the Obama website and inquire about: 1. Put Biden up front with Palin. 2. Where is the love fromt the party? 3. Stick to the issues and don't fall into this trap (too late for that)4. Obama is a presidential candidate, why is he in a cat fight with a nobody from Alaska when that should be left to subordinates. 5. Again, where is his support from the party. 6. Grow a pair, democrats.

WHere oh where is the press, asking the hard questions? Please for god's sake -- do your damned jobs!

Palin Cut Alaskan Taxes on individuals by taking Pork from the other 49 States and increasing taxes on Oil companies. Some of the Oil money is kicked back to Alaskan Citizens to the tune of near $3000 annually. Isn't Palin really Buying votes?

Alaska has no income, property, or Sales taxes.

What taxes on Alaskans did she reduce?

Maybe the truth doesn't matter to EJ.. but what Gov Palin has been saying that she killed the bridge to nowhere is basically TRUE.. She has never said she was always against it, what goveror turns down free federal money.. but when she learned more about this bridge.. she did KILL IT.. Not a penny of that money went to building it. Besides how about all the LIES about her that is being passed around.. how come no outrage from E.J. about that.. What lies? here from factcheck... • Palin did not cut funding for special needs education in Alaska by 62 percent. She didn’t cut it at all. In fact, she tripled per-pupil funding over just three years.
• She did not demand that books be banned from the Wasilla library. Some of the books on a widely circulated list were not even in print at the time. The librarian has said Palin asked a "What if?" question, but the librarian continued in her job through most of Palin's first term.
• She was never a member of the Alaskan Independence Party, a group that wants Alaskans to vote on whether they wish to secede from the United States. She’s been registered as a Republican since May 1982.
• Palin never endorsed or supported Pat Buchanan for president. She once wore a Buchanan button as a "courtesy" when he visited Wasilla, but shortly afterward she was appointed to co-chair of the campaign of Steve Forbes in the state.
• Palin has not pushed for teaching creationism in Alaska's schools. She has said that students should be allowed to "debate both sides" of the evolution question, but she also said creationism "doesn't have to be part of the curriculum."

Mr.Dionne, thanks for the courage demonstrated in your attemept to bring commonsense to this situation.
We tend to forget that we are the most advanced country in the world; we tend to forget that the election of our leaders has enourmeous implications, not only nationaly but also around the world.
Let's control the moronic genes and bring the truth to the table so we can select the new generation of politicians that will guide us into the future.

McCain is slime.

McCain protects Mark Foley and Larry Craig.

The party of Grand Ole Perverts.

The McCain claim that he is a straight-talking maverick is immediately undermined by the very campaign he has now chosen to wage. It is right out of the Bush sneer and smear playbook. This new McCain has no problem with lying about Obama's tax proposals, Palin's support for the infamous "bridge to nowhere", Palin's love of pork and earmarks, his own opposition to inexperienced persons running for high office and his claim to always put his country first (belied by his choice of Palin for running mate),and now, apparently, Obama's opinions on sex education. I had sex education in elementary school. It was about how bees pollinate flowers. Like Dionne, I miss the old John McCain. I miss the guy who wasn't afraid to occasionally disagree with his party, who took Bush to task for the disgusting Swift Boat attacks on John Kerry and for winking at torture, who wasn't afraid to call Jerry Falwell and his ilk "agents of intolerance." That McCain has vanished, replaced by a shameless, lying, pod-politician that puts his ego and ambitions ahead of his country. Johnny, we hardly knew ye.

It's time for Obama to hit back HARD. Deep Blue had some very good comments that should be made into an ad against Mc Shame.

E.J., E.J., E.J.:

Does the truth matter anymore? Well, I found myself thinking; “did it ever, did I miss something along the way?”

It seems like just yesterday when I was inundated with the Obama campaign message that ‘this is HILLARY’S war!’ and the nonstop insinuation that ‘Hillary represents the inherent evil of womanhood; she cast the vote that launched a thousand cruse missiles’. I spent month after month listening to the Obama political operatives follow each report of Hillary’s words or deeds with a reminder that she, as a woman, always has an alternative motive. Perhaps truth is in the bias of the beholder.

By the way: So much has been made about Palin’s speech. Things like Harry Reid speaking for the Democratic Party and declaring her to be shrill. I think that she was polished and professional enough to leave some of the liberal women who earn big bucks doing stand up thinking “………damn!”. The end result of this I find interesting. Now we have male Democrats, including Obama himself, using their baritone voices and practiced poise in ways that cause them to sound shrill. Who would have thunk it?

My Democratic Party chose to abandon serious policy backed up by proven performance in favor of star power. We chose our style of play. The Republican Party has the right to change their style of play in order to counter ours. Quit whining!

The fascists took over our nation in the year 2000, and they will fight tooth & claw to keep their power.

Viking,

Actually, the New York Times article does link McCain to organized crime.

"In 1969, he [Eugene Hensley] sold out to a mob-connected company with close ties to Mr. Marley, according to published reports. (The Phoenix police named Mr. Marley as the man they believed ordered the 1976 assassination of Don Bolles, an investigative reporter for The Arizona Republic. Mr. Marley, who died in 1990, was never charged.)"

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/23/us/politics/23mccain.html

Kemper Marley, for whom McCain's father in law worked, was, by all accounts, the billionaire crime boss of Arizona. Hensley worked directly for him, and after taking the fall for him on a felony charge was awarded his liquor distributorship. McCain married into that.

The article could have and should have been more thorough in its investigation. It is pretty easy to find out that Kemper Marley worked with Meyer Lansky, Gus Greenbaum, et. al.

"Leave the 'age-appropriate sex ed' to the parents," a few of you have written. Has it even occurred to you that (i) parents often do not teach their children what "inappropriate touching" is; or (ii) that some parents are the very abusers this kind of benign eduction is meant to thwart? In a country where Dateline NBC's "To Catch a Predator" series received so much attention, I find it shocking that any -- let alone so many -- Americans would have any problem with kids being told, by those expert in conveying information to kids, that certain touching or certain overtures by adults is a "no-no."

THE LIBERAL MEDIA JUST DOESN'T GET THE FACT THEY HAVE ZERO CREDIBILITY

The days of Americans acccepting the news media "fact checking" are over.

The liberal news media are engaged aging irrelevant partisan hacks who will become even more shrill the less the public gives credence to their false statements.

From CBS manufacturing forged documents, to George Stephanolopous correcting Obama's freudian acknowledgement on Sunday about his "Muslim faith" the liberal news media have squandered their ONLY asset--presumed credibility.

And you can only spend your credibility ONCE.

RESPONSE--The days of Americans acccepting the news media "fact checking" are over.

The liberal news media are engaged aging irrelevant partisan hacks who will become even more shrill the less the public gives credence to their false statements.

From CBS manufacturing forged documents, to George Stephanolopous correcting Obama's freudina acknowledgement on Sunday about his "Muslim faith" the liberal news media have squandered their ONLY asset--presumed credibility.

And you can only spend your credibility ONCE.
9/10/2008 9:28:23 AM

I love that our discourse about important issues always seems to delve into and "us" against "them". The dem lied because the repub lied first or vice versa. A lie is a lie. Shade it any way you want to excuse it, but if you are honest with yourself, it doesn't change the fact that it is a lie. I spend a lot of time with people who have political views opposite to mine. I know they are racists and I know they will never vote for a democrat (especially a black one), but instead of attacking their viewpoints, I simply engage them in conversation. I ask why they feel the way they do about abortion, taxes, etc.
What I sometimes find is that despite our differences, there is some common ground. For example, how many posters are victims of child molesters themselves? Are people on either side of this debate saying they want their young child to be molested? Whether we like it or not, children have always been sexually exploited. It's just that in the past, the no one talked about it and buried the shame. Child molestation is a shameful topic and now the republicans are placing that mirror of shame in front of us hoping that it will silence those who have been intimidated by it before. And here we are falling for it again. Do I want my child to know the difference between a correct and incorrect touch? Yes. Are there age appropriate ways of doing this. Yes. Also, my child spends eight hours a day at school and if he/she is being molested at school, that is eight hours a day that the molester has to intimidate my child into silence. So while it is my responsibility as a parent to discuss this with my child, which I do, what about a child who is being molested by a step-parent? Where does he/she turn? Given the length of time that children are in school during the day, I suspect that is the only place they feel safe, and that is why I do support sex education in the school. It is also the reason why I am pro-choice because I do know of a specific case where a 13 year old was raped by her step-father and became pregnant. To me this isn't an issue that is exactly right or wrong. It has several what if scenarios that need to be discussed and evaluated instead of just hurling accusations. If we just vote on the accusations instead of delving into the what ifs, then we get the government we deserve.

I am just afraid that there are too many voters out there who are sheep and don't even know what a factcheck is. You can't even keep up with the lies. Today's is that O'Bama called Palin a pig.

The only thing John McCain can change is his adult diaper, cause he is full of crap!

This whole campaign has become a complete joke. What are we even talking about? We're not talking about the economy. We're not talking about terrorism. No, we're talking about lipstick on pigs and bridges that never got built.

Bottomline: Do you really want the "Atomic Button" under the finger of an old man who many many moons ago graduated next to last in military academy or, a more likely scenario after McCain dies prematurely of cancer, a woman who shoots animals from helicopters and asks her constituents to pray to"god"for gas pipelines.?

What will she do - send the nukes over and ask everyone to pray to "god" that we win????

HUH??

Question: is any kind of sex ed appropriate in kindergarten? Frankly, I thought this was the kind of thing better left to parents.

Posted by: Jane | September 10, 2008 12:32 AM

Question: Do you think adults should molest children? I thought not. This is a joke.

"Question: is any kind of sex ed appropriate in kindergarten? Frankly, I thought this was the kind of thing better left to parents. Posted by: Jane | September 10, 2008 12:32 AM "

It's also better left to priests, babysitters, neighbors, and creepy uncles.

The GOP is definitely against teaching kindergarteners to be aware of sexual predators. It's because social conservatives are so repressed, they are exactly the ones who take the "wide stances" on morality and wind up being perverts themselves.

The problem is EJ, is that the dupes that make up a slight majority of the American electorate eat this crap up - they don't just fall for it, they love it, they believe it.

And that's why the media has failed - because they lost the confidence of the average doofus by not fighting back against claims that they were "in the tank" for Democrats or had a "liberal bias". And once they lost the confidence of the uneducated masses, there would never be a way to refute the absolutely false claims of the Bush/Rove/McCain attack machine.

And so, in short, we are devolving into an Idiocracy.

John McCain has shed all the principles that made him an attractive candidate to moderates and opted to engage in the same old Republican lies and smears.

Once again, McCain's "straight talk express" really should be called the "lying scumbag express".

Thank you, Washington Post for publishing the fact the McCain and Palin are LIARS.

"Sex ed in kindergarten" can only be about replying to questions in a proper manner, adapted to suit the very young. Since the children spend a great part of their day in kindergarten, some questions are bound to come up. They see movies, they see babies, they see pregnant moms, maybe they see people kiss or even stumble upon adult magazines that someone in the family thoughtlessly left behind.

With very young kids, you only answer the question they have, without elaborating beyond it. It is also good to tell them they have the right to privacy.

Caught Palin on CNN briefly this morning. She just says that she put the jet for sale on eBay. I guess the truth is finally making an appearance. However, her bridge to nowhere comment remains unchanged. She really does have an ego.

It does seem that McCain's campaign is built on sympathy and lies. There must also be a large part of the popululatoin that loves sarcasm. By the way, McCain just stands back and looks like an extra. How sad.

I was talking to someone today who said that Alaskans do not like Palin. I tried to google and found information that referenced an opinion poll taken in May 2007 showing approval ratings in the 80s. Can anyone share with me an opinion poll taken recently.

Remember when Bush's ratings were 90 percent? (I was still in the 10%.) Things can change, and quickly.

Sen. John McCain has proved himself to be unqualified and incapable of effectively leading the United States of America into the future by, among other things, his reckless, irresponsible, impulsive, and dangerous judgment in picking Sarah Palin as his running mate. Sarah Palin is a minor distraction not even worthy of discussion. However, Sen. John McCain has shown his contempt for the intelligence of the American people by making this unequivocally cynical decision to use an unknown, untested, and corrupt, serial liar like Sarah Palin to deceive voters into believing he stands for change. Sen. John McCain also disgraced himself by demonstrating a lack of courage in his choice of Sarah Palin at the last moment over much more qualified Republican men and women simply because she appeals to the base of the Republican Party, a group of voters he was going to lose. What Sen. John McCain doesn't understand is that by appeasing the extreme right wing of the Republican Party, he is going to lose the voters that really count, i.e., moderate and independent voters, and, in doing so, certainly lose the election. Obama/Biden 2008!!!

It is clear that the Swiftboating of Senator Obama has begun. The GOP is simply not able to win elections on the basis of the issues so they are forced to resort to lies in order to create an environment to vote "against" an opponent. It is sad that the GOP is not able to persuade voters to support them based on solid and substantiated facts.

It is time for Barack Obama to come back hard on the falsehoods being spread by the GOP and their "special interest" friends.

However, it is even more importantly that the media become more aggressive in exposing the falsehoods for what they are. The media was duped by the Bush regime in advance of the immoral Iraq war and they now should not be allowing history to repeat itself. This nation urgently needs for the 4th Estate to step up to their responsibilities to educate the American voters.

There are only 2 things wrong with McSame and his proteges: Their style and their content. After all, what else is there?

And there is no "god." It is a figment of man's imagination as he seeks to answer questions that no one so far has been able to answer, not even Karl Rove or Stephen Hawking.

Unfortunately, no the "Truth" doesn't matter anymore. The cause of this, however, goes back several decades to what is termed "post-modernism", which was taught in most colleges and universities in the 1970's, and particuarly in the 1980's and 1990's. Essentially, the core was that objective truth DOES NOT EXIST and everything is viewed through the lens of the interpreter. Thus, I can't say you're wrong and vice versa as Truth does not exist and each of us are simply expressing our own interpretation based on our own life experiences.

Until universities and education return to teaching the search for truth and knowledge, then yes we can all "interpet" any piece of literature or statistic as we see fit.

Thank you, Washington Post, for publishing the fact that McCain and Palin are lying.

And to the long winded Alaskan above who say Alaskans are independent: if your so independent why do you keep all the federal pork palin hired lobbyists for???

I think it is an excellent initiative. On my sons kindergarten a policeman came telling them that if an unknown person approached them while alone they should walk away, otherwise go to the nearest adult and tell what happened. Which is good, they should learn that. Sex ed. somehow has to come up on school ... I mean how are you going to explain biology ? genetics ?

Excuse me, but I think the inappropriate touching lesson is not something I want my kindergartener to hear yet - and certainly not from her teacher. Just back off already. Not everyone agrees with you, can you understand that?

At 5 years old they are vulnerable to adults. You have to watch over them and protect them. Teachers should learn how to recognize symptoms, but if I don't think it's right for the teacher to talk about private parts with my little girl, will you order the government to do it anyway?

Get away from me you creep.

No... the truth doesn't matter anymore. It doesn't matter because most people aren't informed enough to realize when they're being lied to. So, why should candidates bother campaigning based on facts and reality? They're much more effective when they just say whatever they like and make any sort of claim no matter what the facts and truth are. And it's working! Don't be encumbered and enslaved to the truth. That's so yesterday.

I agree that the McCain-Palin ticket must think that we are idiots to accept the "bridge to nowhere" BS, butp please, lets not forget the excesses of the other side. Obama doesn't accept money from PACS (as he stands in front of a gas pump); by law, candidates cannot. But he did have oil industry contributors and he did have oil industry lobbiests on his campaign committee.

And what about the fabricated story of reading the non-existent article of a black man who bleached his skin so that he could look white? What about crediting his parent's romance (and his birth) to the march in Selma (he was born four years BEFORE Selma).

The truth has taken a back seat in this election, but neither side can claim the moral high ground.

I was "inappropriately touched" by someone who was supposed to be tutoring me while I was in kindergarten; they were trying to teach kids in kindergarten to read at our public school. My parents had never said anything about this (I'm sure it never even occurred to them) and I didn't know anything about the wrongness of it until I told my mother. So, it does happen to kids that age, and parents often fail to tell their little ones to beware of that.

Well, I don't know, EJ.

Did you REALLY think Hillary Clinton was calling for Obama's assassination in her RFK remarks, or that those out-of-context remarks merited another screaming, drooling "Special Comment" from Keith Olbermann?

Did you REALLY think that William Jefferson Clinton played the race card, or that Hillary felt no pain--no tears---for the people of New Orleans after Katrina?

You really have GOT to be kidding me, with your own phony outrage.

We're not stupid, and we have very, very, very long memories.

Does the WHOLE Truth Matter Anymore Mr. Dionne? The truth is Obama wants to reinstate the tax on the first $250,000 on home sales at 28%. So if your lifesavings are in your house like me, you will pay $70,000 in tax that you need to survive on.

Okay, the media slammed Obama for Rev.Wright. Why is no one talking about her pastor?

Check out the following that was forwarded to me. It is disgusting and yet I have not seen one report on this.

What is the appropriate response to this garbage?

Please assist us in disseminating this video, it is very important that voters are made aware of just who Sarah Palin really is.

"Palin's Pastor Agrees God Punishes Jews Who Don't Convert"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqMCvq26d2M

"How exactly did they propose teaching 5 year old kids what an inapproriate touch was?

I'd like to see that picture book."
-------------------------------------------
The subject is not new. They've been making these books for ages. This one's a "PreSchool-Grade 3AA picture book".

http://www.amazon.ca/Right-Touch-Sandy-Kleven/dp/0935699104

Those who are arguing that this subject is wrong to teach in kindergarten better watch their kids closely. Teach them at home if you'd prefer. But teach them young.
Some parents may have a hard time talking to their children about this stuff, and wouldn't mind the help from school.

I'd wager emotional problems, stunted sexual identity, etc...are much worse than being aware at a young age that this sick crap exists.

Intersting article all should read.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/sep/10/uselections2008.barackobama

The media is owned by giant corporations, and as such, are leaning on the RIGHT; that's a fact. If you want to know a different perspective, read foreign papers. You might not learn the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, but it will (hopefully) get those slack braincells going and - God forbid - you might actually utter some rational thoughts. If the media were truly liberal, it would actually report the news, and not engage in yellow journalism, for the sake of selling. But again, that's what giant corporations do, that's their bottom line: sell! Who cares if it's true or not.

"Does the Truth Matter Anymore?"

EJ, did you ask that question during the Clinton administration?

And considering Biden likes to use the words of others in his speeches, what about that?

Oops, I forgot, you only apply your ethics to Republicans. Dems get a free pass.

So we have our 2008 Willie Horton Ad. Unbelievable. That shows just how deeply divided and just how much respect we have for one another in this country to allow such a tasteless, subtle raced based lie of an ad to even determine an election.

Yes, you're absolutely right, Dionne. This is trivial. You know what else is trivial: Bristol's pregnancy, a Down syndrome baby on a political stage, Palin's reimbursements from the state of Alaska, Cindy's seven houses, Cindy's credit card bill, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Don't start something you can't finish.

If the public falls for the "Lying Sack of S#!t" Express we will, once again, to quote Mark Twain, "get the government we deserve."

The writer's comments unfortunately continue to show his blindness in one eye towards what Obama's campaign says, while stunned by what McCain campaign states.

Obama stated at the Saddleback event, that "It is above my pay grade" in response to a question about when does an unborn child acquire the human right to live. We all know the Democratic ticket for years has been pro abortion. However since that does not poll well, they say I am "prochoice". "Prochoice" means I don't care if someone kills their baby. Sort of what happened in Germany when many turned the other way, as the Nazis killed millions.

Then there is the Democratic campaign saying that he not going to raise taxes, at least not on every one.

Oh well, I guess at least one eye is better than none.

Question: is any kind of sex ed appropriate in kindergarten? Frankly, I thought this was the kind of thing better left to parents.

Posted by: Jane | September 10, 2008 12:32 AM

----------------------------------------

You don't think it's appropriate to teach young kids what kind of touching is appropriate or not?

You know....protect them from pedophiles.

If the parent happens to be the pedophile do you really think they'll teach their kid that what they are doing to them is inappropriate?

Leave it to the GOP, the party of Mark Foley, to pooh pooh protecting kids from pedophiles.

Unfreakinbelievable....

Good question EJ. Have you been reading your own articles lately.....and then asked your self that question?

Truth: Sen Obama has peaked and is on the slide down. Have you forgotten that during the late democratic primaries Sen Obama lost most at the end to include all the big states. Remember?

Truth: Thanks to the media, Sen Obama has been over exposed....to the point that we know him too well....and the more we know him, the less we want him.

Truth: Adding Sen biden to the ticket added nothing. Before the election is held he will trip over his tongue big time. Count on it.

Truth: You continue to pick on Gov Palin and her lack of experience to be the VP while conveniently overlooking the inexperience Sen Obama has to be president and lead the free world.

Truth: Sen Obama is worn down & tired. Over the last 4 days there has been one unfortunate blunder after the other. After watching him the last 4 days on televised interviews I asked myself: can I imagine this guy representing my country in talks with the leaders of Iran, Syria, North Korea & Russia? Uh, um, I think, perhaps, ah......maybe.

Truth: It is all over for the democrats. Once again their leadership and the liberal media have failed and foisted upon us a candidate far to the left, one who is inexperienced and can not possibly win.

Truth: When I vote, my family, city, country and the security of those will top my list of concerns. Everything else does not matter if we do not have that security. Then I look at the candidates. Which one do I know, which one can I trust.

Truth: McCain - Palin.

the ad says it all: mccain for child molesters

"Does the Truth Matter Anymore?"

EJ, did you ask that question during the Clinton administration?

And considering Biden likes to use the words of others in his speeches, what about that?

Oops, I forgot, you only apply your ethics to Republicans. Dems get a free pass.

Posted by: Sparticus | September 10, 2008 12:47 PM

-------------------------------------------

You really truly deep down in your heart think that Biden and Clinton have combined for more (and worse) lies then W and WcCain in the last 8 years?

How many people died as a result of Clinton and Biden's so-called lies compared to W and WcCain's?

Gethefu#kcouttahere with that BS....

Does the Truth Matter Anymore?"

EJ, did you ask that question during the Clinton administration?

And considering Biden likes to use the words of others in his speeches, what about that?

Oops, I forgot, you only apply your ethics to Republicans. Dems get a free pass.

Posted by: Sparticus | September 10, 2008 12:47 PM

-----------------------------------------
That's because your Karl Rove led party has been the most scandal ridden, tasteless bunch of dycks to ever serve the public from 2008-Present in the history of U.S. Politics and this tasteless ad basically says lies are what get you elected and they will do anything, say anything, smear anything to get elected. But yet there are some TMZ segments of voters who care more about scandals than issues.

Jane wrote:
Question: is any kind of sex ed appropriate in kindergarten? Frankly, I thought this was the kind of thing better left to parents.

My answer: Education about how to protect children against sexual predators is NOT sex education (unless you think little kids being abused by adults is SEX - which it is not. It is abuse and it is a CRIME). In light of all of the studies that show that sexual predators are often those who have close family ties to the children they abuse, our schools better be teaching our children how to protect themselves - unless you want to leave it to the CRIMINALS to do it for them.

Evidently the truth doesn't matter to Mr. Dionne. Sara palin backed the earmark that included funds for the Bridge to Nowhere but argued that it would be better used in other ways. When the requirement that it be used for the bridge was dropped she refused to use it on the bridge.

Meanwhile Obama and Biden voted against an ammendment that would reallocate the money to help repair a Louisiana bridge destroyed by Katrina

Hey Enlightened one.

Get your facts strait . The bridge went to a little inhabited island island.

You are now just the dumb Repukelican one.

Question: is any kind of sex ed appropriate in kindergarten? Frankly, I thought this was the kind of thing better left to parents.

Posted by: Jane
---------------------------------------------

If your five-year-old were already getting that lesson from some adult in their life that they, and you, trusted, wouldn't you like them to know that what they are experiencing is wrong and that it is okay for them to tell another adult about it?

Another important thing to add is that many children do not get that message from home when they are five years old, and in fact, they may be abused in their own home. Letting children know that this behavior is NOT okay, and that there are safe adults in their school that they can talk to, is vital to the emotional and physical health of small children who are so vulnerable. Even if my child is already getting the message about sexual predators from home, I would hope that EVERY child gets that message, even the ones who don't have parents like me who care enough to protect them.

Wonder what's going on with the Polls? Some whiz statistical guy at the RNC has figured out how to 'game the sample'.

Zogby is easy to game if you have patience and a big mailing list.

There were allegations that Hillary gamed Gallup. Had to do with getting the sampling folks the mailing list. Sounds tough without collusion...unless an organization got one of its people into the organization.

Sounds like the RNC.

No, E.J., to answer your question about whether the truth matters anymore, the answer is no - no to the GOP, and no to their supporters. Neocons and their ilk don't care about facts anymore; they just want to win, to be seen as correct, to come out on top. Why else do they hate science and scientists so much??

The trouble is, in order to be seen as correct, you must BE correct first. You can't just throw out lies and half-truths and expect reputable or intelligent individuals to "buy" it.

That's the disturbing thing about this presidential race - it seems that there are over 100 million people who are eagerly willing to believe GOP lies just because an old, white-haired, white man with an American flag tells it to them. If there's one moron who buys into these lies for every one intelligent, responsible citizen who doesn't, our country will continue to decline.

The vote works very well if a populace is smart, informed, and willing to make a decision on real issues, not just feeling. Unfortunately, the vote these days rests in the hands of too many folks who let their emotions, jingoism and xeonphobia run wild.

The only honorable, legal way such individuals can be stopped, of course, is to outnumber them at the polls. It's too much to hope these folks will come to their senses and realize they're being lied to. They WANT to be lied to, and they WANT someone that looks, acts and thinks just like them.

In this respect and in this hour the vote has failed this country. It failed it in 2004 and if this election goes for McCain, it will fail it again.

Fascinating comments here. My favorite:
"Obama is qualified to run an elevator in Chicago (with training) or perhaps he should visit the troops at Paris Island to learn how to properly shine a pair of shoes."

Reminds me of a Thurgood Marshall story -- one day, when he was in the Supreme Court elevator, some tourists walked in and said "Fourth floor, please." After all, that's the kind of job that African Americans can do, right? That and shining shoes.

If you're wondering why the polls are where they are, look no further.

Nope! Never has either.
Palin is HOT, WHITE and Clever, thats all we need to know, Vote Palin McCain!

You people have to get a life, especially Dionne. For a person like he is who's reported on politics for a long time to be outraged at what's going on now and has gone on in every election he's covered, is hypocritical to the max. This is just him trying to get his guy elected. Dionne, you're only speaking to the true believers anyway. So spout your spin. A lot of good it will do you.

There is a large number of voters who seem to lack critical thinking. They will only believe in the sound bites and not examine the facts. I know quite a few people who get their news by watching 1 hour of news in the evening and that is it. So with this many voters not thinking for themselves or trying to justify voting for someone, they will quickly believe any lie a politician says without checking out the facts. One example of doing one's homework, my neighbor circulated a printed photo of Palin in a bikini with a rifle. I was curious so I Googled her and researched it. Turns out that someone had photo shopped her head to another photo. The original photo was on the internet with the altered one. I am not saying I am voting for her, in fact I won't, not because of the smear swift boating going on, but because I researched all the articles that were pro or con and came to my own conclusion.

"Question: is any kind of sex ed appropriate in kindergarten? Frankly, I thought this was the kind of thing better left to parents."

Good Touch; Bad Touch and sometimes it's the parents who are doing the bad touching. Then again, considering the number of pedophiles flushed out of the Republican Party maybe McCain/Palin want to keep that pipeline flowing.

EJ --

That is a great ad line ("Why is John McCain against protecting your children from sex offenders?")

There are lots of ads that the Dems could run, along the lines of the Daisy H-Bomb ad that LBJ used to paint these people for the extremists they are. I hope it does not come to that, but I think we're at a point where "Just win, baby" applies. We can't give these jokers another 4 years.

What amazes me is that anyone who has ever paid any attention to politics is surprised/shocked/disappointed that politicians lie. All politicians lie - dems/reps - it's ugly, but true. So, let's set that issue aside for a minute and try to figure out why the American public seems to be so enamored of a woman who is opposed to sex ed (I'm not getting into kindergarten - I'm saying opposed to sex ed at all). Sex ed is a HEALTH issue. Yes, moral instruction should be left to the parents. Health education should be a responsibility of the state. Why are we so enamored with a woman who can skin and gut a moose, but apparently, can't do interviews? This is a person who is ready to stand in for McCain? Why is everyone so ready and quick to defend her? This is a woman who says that our solidiers are on a mission from God. Is this not the same line of reasoning that religious zealots use? Is this someone who should be in a position to potentially lead the country? Quite frankly, that people are so willing to overlook these things - I fear largely because she is a woman - is much more frightening, disappointing, and shocking that any lying politician.

Democrats for John McCain in 2008

The McCain campaign is run by liars and racists. I would be embarrassed to live in a country run by such disgusting people.

Gloves off.

Debunking the Bridge to Nowhere. Here is my fully sourced article. Feel free to use it. Unlike McCain and Palin, I source everything with factual links:

http://scootmandubious.blogspot.com/2008/09/debunking-lies-of-mccain-palin-bridge.html

As for GOP hypocrisy, if you really want to understand the game the smug Republicans are playing, the John Stewart video from the other night is a must-see. If you missed it, I have it at:

http://scootmandubious.blogspot.com/2008/09/republican-hypocrisy-john-stewarts-home.html

It is a fact that Obama supported sex ed for kindergartners.

During a speech on 7/18/2007, he told Planned Parenthood that kindergarten sex ed is "the right thing to do."

Watch the video:
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3386492

Read the story:

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2007/07/sex-ed-for-kind.html

Folks, get over it. Republicans aren't the only liars. The USA is one big lie. A city on a hill that slaughtered the indigenous inhabitants of this land? A city on a hill that enslaved millions of Africans? A city on a hill that invaded our neighbor to the south to achieve manifest destiny? Until all of us, liberals and conservatives, can speak the truth of our history, we are doomed (selected?) for extinction as a nation.

Lying and cheatin, well, that's the good Ol' Republican way. They have been lying, fabricating evidence and cheating for as long as they have existed, they simply don't know the difference between lies and truths. You keep telling yourself lies long enough, soon you begin to believe your own lies and that's what happened to them. Palin just happened to be the lasted addtion to this pack of official liars and she proved to be very smooth at it, an obvious sign that she has been at it herself for years. She, no doubt, will continue the war in Iraq, since, according to her, it's her God's will(any sign of religeous extremism?) and also will do her best to criminally penalise women/girls who seek abortion, no matter what the justifiable reason they may have. Yet, simple white women will flock to her to vote her in power simply because she looks just like them. It's called proxy satisfaction and not surprisingly, these women tend to be dissatisfied with their own life in general. Believe me, I know. I've seen plenty myself. With this type of trend continuing for a while, America's place at the top of the world is simply numbered. You might as well start the hand-over ceremony to China now, just like the Olympics.

Will the white, under-educated working class men and women take the bait? Yeah, you bet. They are the ones who put George Bush in power for the last 8 years. It is just scary that this particular demography will have so much leverage in deciding the future of America and the world. It is just so scary.

If it is not false naivete then it is sheer stupidity. The GOP always lies like dogs, E.J. Where ya been the last12 elections?

EJ made the mistake of thinking that the GOP cares about anything except power, by hook or by crook...

Caribou Barbie and GI McCrash are the best the Republicans can muster and the CONSTANNT LYING are tactics used simply to divert Americans from that very very sad truth.
After 8 years of George W.(WMD, Warmongering, Waterboarding, Wiretapping) Bush, one would think it was ENOUGH! But, for a society concerned more with celebrities & scandals it's not surprising how popular the Penecostal Right has become.
Obama HAS always focused on issues of economy, the Iraq war, cutting taxes, education and all the other REAL topics.

With such a clear choice it can only appear that it's about Sen. Obama's race and the bottom line is most people are still blinded by color.

We can only wait to see the TRUE colors the Mayor of Mooseville and J. McGrandpa, but if LIES & UGLINESS had a color I'm sure we'd already be half-way there.

What I would like to know is why the Post chose to put the "Lipstick" story in a big headline, but the story about fact checking the "Sex Education" ad put out by the McCain campaign wasn't noted on the front page at all.

That gosh darned liberal media!

John McCain is nothing but the same old politician that has graced Washington for the last 25 years. He is a maverick in the sense that he will "reach across the aisle" when it involves his personal agenda. He has also irritated most politicians in DC because of his abrasive, arrogant, egotistical syle. He is a member of the Self-aggrandizing Party. This is not about Country First! This is about McCain First! He has used four women to get to where he is today. Palin is just another example of "John cannot get it done by himself". Another woman gets him a big bounce. Watching McCain yesterday, Sarah was talking up John, John was turning 360s and bowing. He looked like a puppet (Mortimer Snerd). Talk about an "empty suit".

Some of you jack-#sses shouuld re-read the article and realize the bill did not fund sex education for kindergarteners! It funded age-appropriate sex education for K-12 schools. You automatically assume the worst and take that to mean we're teaching sex education to the 'K' in K-12. Use your brains for once and think about this. Would parents stand by while their kindergarteners are taught sex ed? The answer is 'hell no'. The younger elementary children are being taught predator warning signs while the older middle & high school children are being taught the more traditional sex ed classes. You know, the stuff that helps prevent teen pregnancies and the spread of sexually-transmitted diseases? Try becoming an informed voter rather than a lazy sloth who believes everything you hear in a John McCain ad produced by the sleazy Republican smear machine.

"Question: is any kind of sex ed appropriate in kindergarten? Frankly, I thought this was the kind of thing better left to parents."

Sex Ed is broader than "teaching someone to have sex" It also deals with sexually transmitted diseases, inappropriate touching, and other issues. No one is going to teach kindergarten children sex ed in the same capacity of high school students. The point of the article was political lies, and frankly thats the name of the game, especially nowadays. Its just like most things in the media, pick what you want to complain about and turn it into something different. The "sheeple" mentality of this country is disgusting, and the lack of any education or thinking for yourself is what has gotten us into the present situation at hand. WAKE UP and pull your heads out of the sand. Quit believing everything you see, hear, or read. Think for yourselves or we are all destined for more of the same garbage.

Dear OIFVetsForMcCain are all you republicans this stupid and just spew "crap" because you have a mouth .....I don't think that you really want people to start questioning birthplaces. Did you know that McCain was born in Panama? Obama was born in Hawaii, and in case you didn't know it, Hawaii is a state. I know a lot of you republicans have a problem with that part of geography.

It's too bad that McCain and Palin don't have the characteristics of Pinocchio: Their noses would be so long it would take three Secret Service personnel to carry it.

Obams's Occidental College records
Obama's Columbia College records
Obama's Columbia Thesis paper
Obama's Harvard College records
Obama's Selective Service Registration
Obama's Medical records
Obama's Illinois State Senate records
A certified copy of Obama’s Original Birth Certificate
Obama's embossed, signed paper Certification of Live Birth
Any Obama Harvard Law Review articles that were published (I have found one.)
Obama's University of Chicago scholarly articles or publications.
What religion did Obama practice before he became a Christian and Joined Holy Trinity.
What type of grants, scholarships, loans did he receive to attend the Private schools he attended.
Copies of all national test scores, all letter of recommendation and his tax records while he attend
Columbia and Harvard.
What was his religion BEFORE he became a
Christian.
Obama's Tax Recorts when he was going to all those ELITE PRIVATE SCHOOLS.

====================================
Most of Obama's records are available and have been examined. Were you expecting to see them printed in the newspaper? Do some homework.

NEO-CONS have NEVER worried about BOLDLY making outright lies.

Its how they operate - Keep saying a lie is the truth and the people who wish the lie WAS real will vote for you.

They've perfected the church-on-sunday - lie all week long method of publicrelations.

Unfortunately for us in the electorate the truth has a way of happening anyway. Despite the size and number of the republican party lies, we are stuck with massive debt, a recession,a housing crisis, a broken armed forces, and an education crisis. Our standing in the world has dropped to the bottom of the barrell because of the lies Bush and Cheney told, and we are LASS SAFE.

Vote for Obama/Biden, or vote for a couple of NEO-CON bought-and-paid-for liars.

Obama/Biden '08!

Or course the truth doesn't matter. It never has...to either party. Mr. Dionne finds this shocking but has regularly failed to chide the democratic party for its willingness to turn a blind eye to the truth. Thus, clearly, the truth doesn't matter, at least not to Mr. Dionne.

"realize the bill did not fund sex education for kindergarteners! It funded age-appropriate sex education for K-12 schools. You automatically assume the worst and take that to mean we're teaching sex education to the 'K' in K-12. Use your brains for once and think about this. Would parents stand by while their kindergarteners are taught sex ed? The answer is 'hell no'. The younger elementary children are being taught predator warning signs while the older middle & high school children are being taught the more traditional sex ed classes. You know, the stuff that helps prevent teen pregnancies and the spread of sexually-transmitted diseases?"

Also, parents were able to opt out if they so chose to.

To all those who want sex-ed to be taught @ home I ask:

What if the parents are sexually abusing their children? The kids think that is reality JUST like jesus or santa claus. THAT is why we teach young kids about sexual abuse NOT which position to best please a partner, complications of pregnancy and STDs.

THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK THINK

Maybe Senator Obama did mean something by the "lipstick" comment.

What he really should have said was, "You can put lipstick on John McCain, but he'd still be a pig."

The smear "swiftboating" is simply for "political expediency" when your campaign doesn't have an issue to stand on.

Once again, the American electorate seems to be willing to support candidates who they would like to have a beer with. It's just that one of the candidates wears a skirt this time.

I would have thought we learned something over the last eight years.

Time for an article "Fact Check", the Pinocchios ARE snazzy.

The article states:

"They keep talking about Sarah Palin’s opposition to the Bridge to Nowhere without any embarrassment over the fact that she once supported it."

RESPONSE: Well lets see, did The Obama

1. Support public campaign financing BEFORE he opposed it?

2. OPPOSE the surge in Iraq before it worked?

3. Sit in a Church for decades BEFORE he ever listened to any sermons.....

****4 Pinocchios for the article

Why is the Obama campaign allowing itself to be forced into playing defense? JOHN MCCAIN WANTS TO HELP PROTECT CHILD MOLESTERS!! It is plain and simple. Why else would McCain oppose Obama's bill? Somebody better start driving points like this home, or else we are facing 4 years of McCain/Palin

Unfortunately, the Republicans have slashed so many social and educational services in this country that they have, apparently, gotten just what they want: a country where the majority of citizens believe the latest jibe, snarky poke, and out-and-out lie. It is shameful what is happening to our country. McCain and company are just being Republicans - that's what they do. They can get elected (by lies, sarcasm, and dishonorable tactics) but they can't govern. As an almost 60 year old woman I grieve for my country. Palin's # of children and her success (or lack thereof) as a mother has nothing to do with this. It is the fact that McCain chose a right-wing, conservative Christian who believes creationism should be taught in public schools because he thought a woman could win him the election. This is making me ill.

Someone said "Question: is any kind of sex ed appropriate in kindergarten? Frankly, I thought this was the kind of thing better left to parents."

Another question. What if the parents (or one of them) are themselves molesting the child? Would they be the ones to also provide the needed sex education?

Here in Switzerland, we have sexual education at school relatively early (starting with 8-9 year old). Of course it is adapted to their age and the focus change from molestation to birth control over the time.

The result is a teenage pregnancy rate of 4/1000 to compare with 73/1000 for Alaska. Our approach is thus almost 20 times more efficient than the Alaskan one.

Of course, the typical Swiss, in contrary to US republicans, do not approve of teenager pregnancy. Such a situation would indeed seriously tarnish the parent's reputation, since they are so obviously not up to the job.

But then again, while the Swiss can be very liberal on some subjects, they take the future of theirs kids very seriously and do what it takes to avoid destroying young lives instead of musing on "God's plans".

Here's one for you:

John McCain verbally abuses his wife and sometimes physically abuses his coworkers.

Yes it's a fact people, nothing made up here. It's just no one has the cojones to report the truth.

Is Cindy McCain calling out for help, waiting for someone to hear her plea?

This is the bill on Sexual Education in the State of Illinois:

"LRB093 05269 NHT 05359 b

1 AN ACT concerning education.

2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:

4 Section 5. The School Code is amended by changing
5 Sections 27-9.1 and 27-9.2 as follows:

6 (105 ILCS 5/27-9.1) (from Ch. 122, par. 27-9.1)
7 Sec. 27-9.1. Sex Education.
8 (a) No pupil shall be required to take or participate in
9 any class or course in comprehensive sex education if the
10 pupil's his parent or guardian submits written objection
11 thereto, and refusal to take or participate in such course or
12 program shall not be reason for suspension or expulsion of
13 such pupil. Each class or course in comprehensive sex
14 education offered in any of grades K through 12 shall
15 include instruction on the prevention of sexually transmitted
16 infections, including the prevention, transmission and spread
17 of HIV AIDS. Nothing in this Section prohibits instruction in
18 sanitation, hygiene or traditional courses in biology.
19 (b) All public elementary, junior high, and senior high
20 school classes that teach sex education and discuss sexual
21 activity or behavior shall emphasize that
22 abstinence is an effective method of preventing unintended is
pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases,
26 and HIV acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) when
27 transmitted sexually.
28 (c) In this subsection (c):
29 "Factual information" includes without limitation
30 medical, psychiatric, psychological, empirical, and
31 statistical statements.

-2- LRB093 05269 NHT 05359 b
1 "Medically accurate" means verified or supported by
2 research conducted in compliance with scientific methods,
3 published in peer-review journals, where appropriate, and
4 recognized as accurate and objective by professional
5 organizations and agencies with expertise in the relevant
6 field.
7 All sex education courses that discuss sexual activity or
8 behavior shall satisfy the following criteria:
9 (1) Factual information presented in course
10 material and instruction shall be medically accurate and
11 objective.
12 (2) All (1) course material and instruction shall
13 be age and developmentally appropriate.
14 (3) Course material and instruction shall include a
15 discussion of sexual abstinence as a method to prevent
16 unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections,
17 including HIV.
18 (4) Course material and instruction shall present
19 the latest medically factual information regarding both
20 the possible side effects and health benefits of all
21 forms of contraception, including the success and failure
22 rates for the prevention of pregnancy and sexually
23 transmitted infections, including HIV.
24 (5) Course material and instruction shall include a
25 discussion of the possible consequences of unintended
26 pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, including
27 HIV."

The Amendment 001 said grade appropriate instruction but did not spell out what was age appropriate. It does not say Kindergarten would only teach about sexual predators. I couldn't find that anywhere.

But on the Board of Education of Illinois Regulations,School Codes, Section 4, Sex Education on Page 26, I found the following:

"All elementary, junior high and high schools that teach sex education and discuss sexual intercourse shal emphasize that abstinence is the expected norm....."

Also, check Newsweek website on FactCheck about false internet claims on Palin, titled "Sliming Palin." It must be noted that I have always found Newsweek to be slanted to the left, however, this article was factual.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/157986/output/print

And as far a McClatchey Newspapers they and Dionne are in the tank for Obama, so consider the sources.

Go to this web address and tell John McCain to fire Steve Schmidt. he is the one responsible for destroying a true patriot, John McCain.

johnmccain.com/Contact/

Schmidt is one of Rove's henchmen and will do anything to get someone into office. He has a satanic ability to rile up the perpetually pissed off right.

A Jesse Helms' campaign re-incarnation.

Technically...the McCain camp is correct in saying that Obama will raise taxes. What everyone isn't really catching, is that claim is aimed at the money makers and big business who will be affected, not the regular joe blue-collar workers.

Everyone knows that Obama has already stated he plans on lowering taxes for the everyday citizen and tax the rich...as it should be.

If you want to get truth back into American politics then start exposing these Republicans for the war criminals that they are. They are not going to go away. At some point America needs to face up to these crooks and do the right thing and shut them down.

I can't believe Obama called Palin's statement a "foolish diversion". That plays right into the Republican strategy. All it does is reinforce his image as an elitist intellectual.

For better or worse (I believe worse), the American people do not want a calm cool and collected brainiac for President. They don't want someone who seems better than themselves. They want someone like themselves.

Americans don't want nuance. They want Westerns with good guys and bad guys and they want the bad guys to end up shot dead. They want Dirty Harry and Rambo and Die Hard.

I think this will lead to the decline of our country. But telling people they SHOULD demand more sophisticated arguments is a sure way to lose this election. It is like the old saying about arguing with your spouse: do you want to be right or do you want to be married?

If Obama wants to WIN, then he needs to come down from the ivory tower and start FIGHTING. He needs to get ANGRY. He needs to express an sense of outrage. He needs to say over and over that the Republicans are dirty rotten scoundrels and liars who are taking away our civil rights and that America will be a second class country if we elect another Republican President. Palin has energized the conservative base. If Obama cannot energize the Bish-haters, he has no shot.

It seems like the only type of person that wouldn't want to protect children from pedophiles might be a fellow pedophile!

That'd be a change in the White House!!! Maybe he would have preferred to have Jon Benet Ramsey as his Vice Presidential candidate.

As far as Obama's analogy about "lipstick on pig," his very next analogy in that speech was about an "old fish."

Lipstick = Palin

Old Fish = McCain

I think it was done intentionally, notice the next time you see Obama's clip on TV how the audience stood up and roared when Obama mentioned the "lipstick" comment because they thought (correctly) he was talking about Palin.

I like the way Obama was self-righteous today when referring to it indignently in his speech. Yeah, right.

Now all Obama's little puppets (his MSM surrogates) are going around ripping McCain.

There are false comments on both sides. Even Obama's response "enough is enough" was full of false comments and innuendo trying to frame the Rebublicans as Swift Boaters and using nefarious means to steal the election. It goes both ways. Don't overlook Obama's shenanigans just because you belong to his cult and he is your messiah

I see the election slipping away because Republicans understand something about elections that we Democrats do not. The Republicans understand how really stupid the American people are. That's why they don't want to talk about issues, why they flash the shiny metal object and say, "lookee over here, a shiny metal object."

One of the things I came to admire about Obama during the primary, one of the qualities I think makes him the most fit to be president, is how he deals with the political BS that swirls in these campaigns. Hillary tried every trick in the book to get him into gutter politics but it never worked. McCain is trying to do the same. He has obviously demonstrated that he is not a knee-jerk reactionary, but takes adversity in stride and keeps his eye on the prize. Critcs have labeled him egotistical (I think for having the audacity to run for president in the first place) but I have gotten quite a different impression. Obama appears to be motivated by the magnitude of the challenges we face, and appears completely unfazed by the infantile personal attacks hurled against him and his wife. To me, this demonstrates an ego mastered by intelligence and awareness. Egos don't come much bigger than the one in the little cowboy currently occupying the Whitehouse, and McCains ego is bigger than the USS Nimitz. We have seen the results of ego driven leadership these last 8 years.

For once, we have the opportunity to elect a smart, capable, even tempered, steadfast and decent man. Lets not blow it.

Oh heaven help us! Of course there's appropriate sex education for kindergarten and if you people weren't so paranoid about sex you'd know it! The teaching would have been to distinguish "good touch" from "bad touch". It's what the pediatrician tells parents to teach their kids so they know when they're being molested!! This is to catch child predators. If you're for protecting child predators then by all means vote against a bill that would teach kids how to handle the situation and the knowledge to tell an adult they trust. And while it's better if every parent teaches a kid this, a lot of parents in inner cities don't know to do this because their kids don't get comprehensive pediatric care. (No health care--don't you know). That's why that bill was proposed. To protect poor children from child predators. Or are they supposed to believe everyone who approaches them is as harmless as Winnie the Pooh?

McCain is scary and disgusting. He opposes protecting children from pedophiles. How can anyone vote for a man who is concerned about protecting parents that molest their children?

No. It doesn't matter anymore. Why would you -- or anyone else who has been following the media's unforgivable irresponsibility for the past eight years -- be surprised by this?

Where have you been?

Oh heaven help us! Of course there's appropriate sex education for kindergarten and if you people weren't so paranoid about sex you'd know it! The teaching would have been to distinguish "good touch" from "bad touch". It's what the pediatrician tells parents to teach their kids so they know when they're being molested!! This is to catch child predators. If you're for protecting child predators then by all means vote against a bill that would teach kids how to handle the situation and the knowledge to tell an adult they trust. And while it's better if every parent teaches a kid this, a lot of parents in inner cities don't know to do this because their kids don't get comprehensive pediatric care. (No health care--don't you know). That's why that bill was proposed. To protect poor children from child predators. Or are they supposed to believe everyone who approaches them is as harmless as Winnie the Pooh?

As a former Republican and long-time McCain supporter I am appalled by the tactics that his campaign has resorted to. Tacking to the far right, spreading blatant lies, and misleading the American people time and time again.

As for sex education, I'm the father of a 6 year old girl. I want her to know that no one has a right to touch her. The public school that she attends is very careful to inform the parents, in advance, of the upcoming AGE APPROPRIATE lesson plan. Get real people.

There will be no end to this gutter campaigning until the media stops confusing "objectivity" for honesty. Sometimes, my dear reporter friends, you catch someone in a lie and you have to call a spade a spade. There are not two sides to every story. Do your job.

Wow . . . everyone step away from this blog and then come back to it. Read all of the comments carefully and slowly -- from beginning to end. What has happened to this Country? I don't recognize America any longer. If any of you think that what you are saying in your comments and the nastiness and ease by which you are spewing them is being an American, you're dead wrong. I'm ashamed that our troops are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan--many dying for each of us--to defend this . . . . to defend us.

The distinction is clear. Obama is the progressive choice, McCain is the Washington insider- more centralized politics- supports monopolies!

Remember Bushies gave us the same old song and dance for 2000 and 2004 and he turned out to be the worst president in modern day history! And now some of you want to vote for his GOP brother, John McCain?

George Bush, Karl Rove and the GOP faction have used this type of character assignation tactic over and over again. What did we learn from this?

That the very same people that offer this sort of political fray were the politicians short on dignity, character and intelligence! And in Bushes case- corrupt, narcissistic and subversive!

This is what our nation cannot abscond from!
McCain has voted with inept and corrupt GOP ideology 95% of the time and with Bush over 90% of the time.

This is the kicker, McCain, 26 years as a senator, is a top ranking GOP senior senator of this current financial mess!

Never mind what a candidate looks like, the physical attributes or the name, these are facts that are hindering our businesses, our families our nation everyday!

As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and a mother of two young sons I am absolutely livid about John McCain’s latest ad. Barack Obama supported a bill which would give school districts the ability to teach kids about “good touch/bad touch.” John McCain not only doesn’t think this is something important to teach our kids, he thinks it’s WRONG to do so.
I grew up in the 1960’s and no one taught us about sexual predators, no one gave us any tools to use if we were touched in the wrong way. So at six, when I was molested by an 18 year old friend of the family I didn’t have any idea what to do or how to make it stop, and I suffered greatly because of it.
Our kids need the tools to protect themselves and John McCain is using this important issue to score cheap political points. The press and the public need to call him out on this in no uncertain terms.

Another blatant lie is being propogated by GOP operatives on this site. I refer you to this website to read for yourself the positions of McCain and Obama

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/617/

The bottom line is that any taxes that accrue on the sale of a home begin after a profit of $250,000. The previous post is specifically designed to mislead and frighten people about Obama's tax proposals.

Yes, the truth is not in the GOP. It is all about lies and deception.

I quote the main points below from the above website:

Only the wealthy make big profits.

In a Spanish-language radio ad, John McCain makes the case that Obama will raise taxes on the middle class.

Translated into English, the ad asks, "Are you ready for the higher taxes on income, savings and the sale of your home that Barack Obama promises?"

We checked out some of the ad's other claims in a story we wrote. Here, we'll look at the claim that Obama wants to raise taxes on home sales.

We've seen this claim before in anonymous chain e-mails that attack Obama's tax policies. We ruled those claims false.

There's only one scenario in Obama's tax plan that we can find in which taxes on home sales would go up. You would have to be a wealthy person, making more than $200,000 if you're single and $250,000 as a couple, and you would have to make a substantial profit on your home -- more than $250,000 in profit.

Here's how it would work. Obama proposes to increase the capital gains tax on upper incomes. There are exemptions to the capital gains tax, however, and one of the best-known exemptions is on home sales. In general, if you own your home and sell it for a profit, you are not taxed on the first $250,000 of profit if you are single, or on the first $500,000 of profit if you are a married couple. Neither McCain nor Obama have proposed changing this exemption.

Most home sales under Obama's plan would also be taxed at 0 percent, unless, as we explained, profits on the home sale are more than $250,000 for a single person or $500,000 for couples.

THANK YOU E.J. Dionne for being about the only one in the media (along with Olbermann) that is calling out the McCain campaign on their lies. Didn't Republicans once claim that lying to the American people was an impeachable offense? Why is this any different?

Palin opened the door and put out the welcome mat for comments regarding lipstick and other cosmetics with her "joke" during the convention. If you can't take the heat, then stay off the podium (or at least have someone vet your jokes so as to draw the least amount of post speech fire)

Excellent list of questions for Palin from the Anchorage News. Since Palin is too important to sit down for interviews with anyone she hasn't selected, why doesn't every respectable newspaper send her a written list of questions, publish the list for their readers, then count the days until she answers?

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/321/story/52155.html

No E.J. the truth does NOT matter anymore. I won't repeat what many of the others on this thread have already said, but I will add that the Washington Post has been complicit in allowing lies to trump the truth now for quite some time.

Have your paper run an article demonstrating how much worse McCain has been than Obama in stretching the truth. You guys don't do this. The Washington Post may even be worse than other news outlets, because at least it knows better.

THE CLAIM: McCain's ad asserts he has fought pork-barrel spending, the drug industry and fellow Republicans, reforming Washington in the process, and credits Palin with similarly changing Alaska by taking on the oil industry, challenging her own party and ditching the bridge project that became a national symbol of wasteful spending.

THE FACTS: Palin did abandon plans to build the nearly $400 million bridge from Ketchikan to an island with 50 residents and an airport. But she made her decision AFTER the project had become an embarrassment to the state and federal dollars for the project were pulled back.

what is wrong with you people? He did not sign a bill to teach kindergardeners about sex. He signed a bill to teach them how to identify sexual predators, private parts, and 'bad touches', something most parents want their kids to know.

Have you all seen the clips of Palin in her church and what her church believes in on YouTube? How is she going to represent ALL of the people of the US with such an insular view of the world? If Palin gets elected to office, it will be truth as she sees it - through a very limited scope - if you are not like us, then y'all be going to hell. It is very scary.

Hopefully, the McCain campaign will implode from the weight of its own lies. I cannot understand how any Christian can tolerate such a blatant disregard for truth, regardless of the particular political party involved.

We preach about the untruths that surrounded our Lord and Savior that led to His death, then we loudy applaud lies directly intended to sink a political campaign because of disagreements with platform issues.

They bad-mouth Obama with the "Messiah" claim because Obama can actually attract crowds abroad that show signs of American affection and then present over and over at their convention all the details of a wounded and battered POW-in-a-box McCain and get upset with the direct analogy to a suffering Jesus. I assume the many tears shed in the convention were real. It reminds me of church services when the agony of Jesus' last days are retold.

Yes, lies and sympathy are what the GOP campaign is all about. "Honest Abe" has no place in the new Republican Party. Poor Abraham Lincoln, he is a "father" without a party.

THANK YOU for this bold title and op-ed.

I would think the media and serious journalists who have a passion for what they do...would say "ENOUGH"! to the McCain camp.

Since when does reporting the news including lying, bowing down to the candidate's wishes etc??

Thank you again--I hope you and your fellow writers continue and rise above.

McCain and the rest of his gang learned their tactics from the master of them all, Joseph Goebbels who said, "If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. "

McCain once campaigned on the idea that the war on terrorism is the “transcendent” issue of our time. Now, he’s stooping to cheap advertising that would be condemned as trivial and misleading in a state legislative race.
___________________________________________

You ask what happened to him?

He has lost what ever little self-respect and self-confidence that he had since is nomination as the GOP Pick for the White House.

While at the same time allowing folks like Carl Rove and other GOP Extremist to negatively influence him considering his less than "perfect" career and personal life.

As far as I am concerned, he is no Maverick, but more so a Mule.

As a former Protective Services (Child Abuse and Child Neglect) Caseworker and Supervisor, I am writing to explain that sexual predators [VERY often members of the victim's own family] do NOT want any age-appropriate sex education in the schools. Such predators thrive when children have no "stranger-danger" training. Most parents try to do a good job of protecting their children, but age-appropriate, School Board approved, teacher-delivered education in a group setting is far and away the best supplement to parental warnings. How can it be a bad thing for our children to learn how to PROTECT THEMSELVES???? Check your facts with regard to sexual
predator crime in your own neighborhoods.
You will change your mind if you care about children. Get on their side!!

have we come so far that we even accept Palin's e-bay remark as accurate? In ordinary conversation, if you say that, you mean you sold it on e-bay, not that you put it on e-bay, then took it off, and sold it to a campaign contributor at a loss.

the lipstick outrage is outrageous. the 'pig' in the analogy is McCain's platform, not Palin, who, at worst, is the lipstick, and since Palin used the term, it's not even sexist for Obama to refer to her as the lipstick, which he wasn't.

and as for the Alaskan Independent Party, OK it wasn't Sarah who belonged, it was her husband, but where are the folks who were so absurdly outraged over Michelle Obama's "proud for the first time" remarks as being anti American (which they of course weren't because that's obviously not what she meant to say) on the subject of Todd Palin belonging to a party that actually is anti-American?

and blue collar actually literally refers to folks who typically wear blue uniform shirts to work.

I really think with your racist comment that because Palin is white and hot she should be president demonstrates your low IQ, but well, the world is full of stupid people, I don't blame you. You'll rather be dying in a tank full of acid, than seeing an African American Male with brains be our next president.

And folks don't believe the media, FOX, CBS, etc... don't believe search on the web and read all articles you can get. I'm suprise how many people take this election lightly, given the past 8 years of misery we had. But then again, the problem is that most people don't want to think for themselves, they all rather be sheep, and that's great for media companies, because they can lie and say polls are tied, etc, and people would buy it. I know smart people would vote for change, because change can come from somebody with brains. We must have at least a smart president.

Change and prosperity doesn't have race.

If you search on all the web I did, most Obama attacks are subjective on personal comments, stupid morons that doesn't know about facts, brainwashed people and KKK morons too. It's very simple to see their low IQs, and I would tell you. First, the way they write, purely subjective, without facts and references. And one more tip, they tend to overuse the exclamation mark like "!!!!!!!!!!!".

I hope Americans would understand, that war is no the answer, and two, you need someone smart as president. Stop the lies media, and get the facts.

And for your information KKK I'm white, and proud to vote for Barack Obama. Great brains doesn't have race. Sure enough KKK my cat has more brains than you, at least she can think. But well, morons like them, are like animals, they don't reason at all, no matter what you do, they do the same and the same over again until they die.

This election is not for voting for meaningless reasons, is for voting using our own judgement, for our future and the future of our children.

Change and Prosperity doesn't have race.
Trust Your Own Judgement.
Vote For Change.

It's just sad how every 4 years the Repuglicans lie, deceit and make false accusations yet the american people continue to fall for it over and over again. Even more sad is that it's same fools who are the first ones to stand up and complain about the country's dire situation. WHEN WILL THEY LEARN!!!!!!!1

I'd like you to consder this explanation:
The real reasons the gop comes out with this stuff that is clearly factually deficent is that they know that many of their supporters are motivated by ideas that they are no longer willing to say publicly. So they need talking points. You may have noticed that some of thier talking points from 04 are directly contradicted by the ones they use today (kerry as flip-flopper for instance). the reason this isn't a problem is because flip-flopping was never the real issue.
The angry gop only has outrage left. The bubble these folks inhabit is going to smell really bad when it bursts.

Apparently, the conservative main stream media is not willing to call out the blatant lies of the McCain/Palin campaign. So, my fellow Americans, it is up to us to utilize our local news as a vehicle for truth. We must show the Republicans that, unlike big media, WE are not intimidated by their gutter politics.
Here's a start:

Lie:
Obama will not lower taxes
Fact:
For Americans making less than $250,000, Obama will give a tax cut that is more than TRIPLE the tax cut McCain would give.
So if you're like me, and you prefer a $3,000 tax refund rather than a $1,000 tax cut, VOTE OBAMA!

Lie:
John McCain will create jobs in America
Fact:
McCain supports tax breaks to companies that move jobs overseas. Obama will eliminate this tax break.
So if you think it's better to keep jobs here in America, VOTE OBAMA!

Lie:
John McCain has a plan to use green energy and to end our dependence on foreign oil
Fact:
McCain flip-flopped and supports drilling on our shores. Independent studies show this will lower gas by a mere 10 cents a gallon, after 10 years. NOT worth the risk of oil spills on our beaches. McCain plans to follow W. Bush's failed energy policies and offer more tax breaks to big oil. Obama has a plan to fast track new technology to utilize alternative fuels and create 'green' jobs for energy efficiency.
So if you are sick of paying $4.00 a gallon for gas, VOTE OBAMA!

Lie:
John McCain and Sarah Palin are 'mavericks'
Fact:
McCain voted with Bush 90% of the time. In the last year, he voted with Bush 95% of the time. In just six years, McCain has voted for $150 billion in earmarks.
As mayor, Palin raised taxes on everything from groceries to income. She asked for and received $27 million worth of earmarks for her town of 6,000. She left her town in debt when she left office. She lied about firing her personal chef and selling that plane on e-bay. She is currently governor of the state with the HIGHEST tax and spending rate per person in the US. She supported the Bridge to Nowhere.
So if you believe your government should NOT run up our debt (and taxes) on idiotic spending projects, VOTE OBAMA!

Lie:
Palin believes in small government
Fact:
Palin abused her political power by firing a librarian that would not ban books she had issues with. She abused her power as governor to get her ex-brother in law fired from his job as Alaska State Trooper.
So if you believe government should keep it's power and influence away from our everyday life, VOTE OBAMA!

Lie:
Sarah Palin is a victim of sexism
Fact:
The only way to be sexist is for the media to go easy on Sarah Palin simply because she's a woman. That would be like saying "hey, we won't ask her the tough questions becaus she's a woman and she can't handle the rough treatment."
So if you believe women should be treated equal to men, VOTE OBAMA!

The total disregard for the truth has soured me to the point of being ashamed of our country. The average person lives off sound bites not facts. If a party cannot tell the truth then they should be fined maybe 50 million for every falsehood printed or stated. The whole election process has become a vile joke. The more outrageous the better the press likes it. When I was in high school we heard about the yellow press a century ago its back. Tell the truth or get out of politics. Ask any one now they expect politicians to lie and steal

This is Bush III, just like Obama said. It is irresponsible. McCain/Palin are on the worst job interview imaginable: the Republican presidential hopeful outright lies while the Republican vice presidential hopeful hides. They treat American citizens like they are dumb, while Republicans act dumb. They are scaring us with their stupidity. That beats terrorism any day. Rove has something there. But only there.

But, after my 14 year old asked me a lot of questions and watched both conventions, I'm not too sure these tactics will ever work again, especially if Obama loses because of them. This kids know not to value party loyalty so much. Also, we already have civil unrest in this country. If McCain wins, we will step over the line to violence. The terrorists won't have to do a thing to us--we'll do it to ourselves.

What we need to do when we blog is make a running list of problems that have to get solved, everyday, so we stay focused as a nation. Here's a list of problems that are getting ignored by the press and by Republicans (who make mention when forced to and then spin but nothing else):
1) after 8 years with no work on global warming, we have to take the lead
2) after 8 years of frightening and angering the other nations, we have to make friends again
3) after 8 years of corrupting the Constitution, we have to remember that our forefathers were just as energized as we are right now when they wrote it without lies to sway the vote
4) after 8 years of incomes falling and gas, food, clothing, and shelter prices rising rapidly, we have to right the ship without greedy hands
5) after 8 years of our bright children being priced out of college educations to the point where they can't pay their way through college, we have to get someone thinking how to solve the problem
6) after 8 years of scandals and cover ups, we have to get to the truth behind the cover ups (How many cover ups have gone unresolved? What's in those man-sized safes in Cheney's office?)
7) after 8 years of following the Republican ways of doing things with false compassion (that actually covers up uncontrolled greed), we have to restore compassion
8) after 8 years of trying to prepare for worsening storms in the Gulf, we have to prepare more properly--the last one could easily have been a Category 3 instead and the levy would have broken
9) after 8 years of fumbling around about immigration, we have to secure our borders and set priorities that will work
10) after 8 years of going blindly forward in trying to figure out what jobs to train for in the future, we have to work better as visionaries and plan plan plan
11) after 8 years of ignoring China's build up, we have to become competitive or learn Chinese

This is only a drop in the bucket.

Yes, E.J., the truth does not matter. McCain knows, as Republicans always know, that he cannot win on the issues straight up. (Conservatives policies are inherently a minority view.) Only winning matters. Republicans have long focused on using false charges to create vague impressions that stir up emotions. They have been successful. At this point in this campaign all the people who will decide based on the issues or any rational analysis have already made up their minds. The remaining group of undecided voters will win or lose it for Obama or McCain. Why haven't these voters made up their minds? Either they weren't paying attention, or they don't understand the issues, or they don't usually vote anyway, or they don't have confidence in themselves to decide. So, at this point, truth is mostly an issue for those who've already decided or those who study up hard before deciding. McCain just wants to get over the finish line, then he can respond if something was "exaggerated". As the timelime compresses and the intensity picks up, these last undecided voters being sought by both sides are easily subject to manipulation in the media. The Republicans know just how to do it and apparently Obama's campaign does not. So as of today, Obama has lost control of the media environment, Sarah Palin has all the attention, people are reacting (as hoped) emotionally, McCain's camapaign is pushing hard to stay on the offensive while Obama is playing defense (very bad). Truth is a matter of opinion anyway so they don't worry about it. I'm just amazed though to see the reaction of surprise and being offended and cluelessness that is coming from the Obama campaign. Don't tell me they didn't know this was coming!

Sex education on ANY level to kindergartners belongs in one place . . . the HOME. If the left will stop treating adults like children, they MIGHT actually start behaving like adults for once. But the left thinks Americans are a bunch of idiots, and they've taken it upon themselves to educate the public, even when it's inappropriate. Get real, people.

It is time America says no more to this nonsense from McCain the molester. Or is it McLester?

Truth matter??????

HA HA HA HA HA, please, my ribs are hurting.

Since the media is not calling out McCain on his outright lies and distortions - only repeating them, why should he stop?

Elections are won with ignorant masses rather than an educated few. No one knows this better than the Rove driven campaign execs at the McCain camp.

It does not help Obama to sit quietly while these lies are bantied about. If he is intent on keeping the same Mr. Rogers neighborhood-type political ads, better get used to saying: President McCain.

If he insists on putting his faith in the american voter come november... might as well get used to saying: President McCain

Get some aggressive surrogates out there yesterday, and respond forcefully to McCain slander.

"When I hear a statement like that coming from a woman candidate with any kind of perceived whine about that excess criticism or, you know, maybe a sharper microscope put on her, I think, man, that doesn’t do us any good. Women in politics, women in general wanting to progress this country. I don’t think it’s, it bodes well for her -- a statement like that."

- Sarah Palin on Hillary Clinton's claims of sexism in the media.

Actually, Sarah Palin did not fire the librarian after having asked her about her opinion on banning books. She intimidated her and demanded a declaration of loyalty from her, but she didn't fire her.

So let's get the lies straight. There are enough to go around. I think Palin is scary enough as she is, without additional scariness.

“This is a deliberately misleading accusation."

The Republicans are expert at prestidigitation, the deliberate direction of attention away from the actions that matter. Those who believe are convinced that the politician really put the cell phone instantaneously into the beer bottle, and that ability qualifies them to be a "great leader." Thunderous applause from the audience.

I think it is extremely important that the incorrect anf blatantly false statements made by the McCain/Palin ticket be aggressively exposed by the media.

From post below:

1. Lying about WMDs? At last count, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, Ted Kennedy also "lied" about those same WMDs! Even more interesting is they "lied" about the WMDs BEFORE Bush "lied" about them. Check your facts.

2. Each administration has the right to fire US Attorneys. Bill Clinton did it. Noone from the left screamed about it then.

3. Lying about Kerry's Swift Boat? The man got a purple heart from receiving "shrapnel" (in this case, rice) from an explosion. He should have been cooking pasta. Enough said.

4. Moral sex scandals? You mean the Clinton sex scandal which he covered up, lied about and got disbarred for? Or are you referring to the John Edwards sex scandal, which he lied about to his dying wife, and paid off his mistress to keep his scandal secret while he ran for President?

More and more, I've noticed that the left has become blind and oblivious to their own hypocrisy.

No, E.J, the truth died in November 2000, and you helped put a shiv in its back. After lying about WMD, lying about outing Valeria Plame, lying about firing US Attorneys, lying about global warming, lying about terrorist threats, lying about Kerry's Swift Boat, lying about Abramoff's bribery, and lying about their terrible moral failings with sex scandal after sex scandal, what makes you think the GOP wouldn't lie about Obama? What amazes me is the sheer number of my fellow Americans who still think that believing these lies makes them patriotic.

Someone on the Obama team needs to point out that when your intentions are honorable, you don't need to lie, smear and intimidate to achieve your goal. The way politicians run their campaigns presages the way that they will govern. Do we really want more of the tactics of the last eight years? Aren't the American people smarter than this? I think they are. So we need to also question the validity of the polls, which are being used to control our thinking about the election, so that when the fixed machines spew forth their results (what do you think Karl Rove has been doing the last few months? ) people aren't so surprised. We need to stay on top of our whole subverted electoral system, and not let the ruling junta seize another election. They can't unless we let them. We need to beware,
because the Republicans will stop at nothing to remain in power, knowing that if they don't stay in control, the present administration will be tried for their crimes. This is where we win or lose our country, folks. Americans are the only people on earth who can hang onto their democracy--if they want it badly enough. Do we?

For me the question is not that the republicans lie and cheat and get down in the mud they love so much more than the truth. For me the question is why the media does not do more to shed light on the obvious falsehoods? It should be a drum beat for truth. Ah! but then who owns the media outlets that haven't done their jobs for years? Wealthy folk that's who. It is class warfare, being waged by the wealthy against all other classes in this society. They will not be happy until you are all serfs and it appears that serfs you will be...

Wake up America, you are being led down the road to becoming a third world country. Your jobs are going overseas. The wealthiest are getting all the wealth you create with your sweat while you get less than the cost of living . The economy that was robust under Clinton is a basket case under Bush for all of you, except the wealthy. Remember the budget surplus of 2000? Only upscale housing sells now. Normal Americans cannot buy houses now, another feature brought to you by republican deregulation schemes that feed their greedy patrons even more wealth. The middle class is in a steep decline in the U.S... It is a republican desire to destroy it and they are carrying out that desire with growing speed. Millions of Americans have fallen into poverty on Bush's watch and no one seems to notice or care. McCain supported the original plan for the Iraq war and said we would be able to pay for it with Iraqi oil proceeds. He supported Amad Challabi of infamous memory, who is still in Iraq and who his countrymen are still trying to kill. Now we can't even get the Iraqis to use their own budget surplus in the re-building of their own country. John McCain is part of all of the foregoing. He is not a different republican, he's just like all of the rest of them.

"Sarah Palin did not fire the librarian"

Republicans are spinning this episode as a loyalty test for an employee. Palin was checking to see if this subordinate would follow directions even if those directions conflicted with the laws of this country. The librarian failed and was fired. Only widespread political pressure resulted in her being reinstated, but hated. We know this kind of behavior is not limited to Palin. Many abusers of power are capable of, and have perpetrated, such acts. Do we ignore this behavior, idolize it, and promote the perp to the highest levels of government? I hope not.

Someone on the Obama team needs to point out that when your intentions are honorable, you don't need to lie, smear and intimidate to achieve your goal. The way politicians run their campaigns presages the way that they will govern. Do we really want more of the tactics of the last eight years? Aren't the American people smarter than this? I think they are. So we need to also question the validity of the polls, which are being used to control our thinking about the election, so that when the fixed machines spew forth their results (what do you think Karl Rove has been doing the last few months? ) people aren't so surprised. We need to stay on top of our whole subverted electoral system, and not let the ruling junta seize another election. They can't unless we let them. We need to beware,
because the Republicans will stop at nothing to remain in power, knowing that if they don't stay in control, the present administration will be tried for their crimes. This is where we win or lose our country, folks. Americans are the only people on earth who can hang onto their democracy--if they want it badly enough. Do we?

Whether bright or dull, intelligent or stupid, right or left, liberal or xonservative, female or male, gay or straight, military or civilian, Republican or Democrat, Protestant or Catholic, religious or atheist, high-school dropout or college professor, clergy or layman -- we all lose when either one or both major political parties resort to personalities, character assassination, allegations, and lies.

There is going to have to be a time when we rise up and make the ballot box really count for something. The message has to be delivered in a loud, resounding voice. Republicans, Democrats, or Independents who engage in campaigns of deceit and personal attacks should not be voted back into office. Hopefully, a full primary season across the country will help field the best candidates for all political parties.

Is it possible that the U.S. can again have at least 50% or more of the voting-age public go to the polls? How about 90%? I want to know if in fact that our country is as polarized as certain polls and votes indicate. Some elections are decided when less than 20% of registered voters even bother to vote.

Just once, prove to me what kind of country America really is. Are we as fundamental in our Christian views as we claim that the Islamist countries are in their fundamentalist views? I want to know if a truly progressive tax system is ever possible again. I want to know to what extent Jeffersonian democracy still exists in America.

Do the people really agree with the policy of "pre-emptive" war? Do we believe that foreign aid should only go to countries that vote lock-step with us in the U.N.?

Do people really believe that universal health care is socialism? What about universal preventive medicine? Is there a common ground that allows for all of our citizens and legal residents to have access to quality health care? How much do we really hate immigrants, whether legal or illegal?

There are so many issues that we need to have national discussions about and all I am hearing are silly accusations about lipstick on pigs from a campaign that has already used the same expression.

E.J Dionne's editorial along with those of Thomas Friedman and David Brooks of the New York Times, and the lipstick story this morning illustrate Stephen Colbert's insight. The future of America rests on truthiness. God help us all.

Yes, when is the Media going to call John McCain and Sarah Palin on their lies and deceit? And when they try to dance around a question, call them on their deception.

There was only one journalist on television who ever did this in interviews with Democrats and Republicans and everything between and around since I've been around. Unfortunately, we lost him this summer.

We currently have another journalist who GWB attempted to make a mockery of when she called his administration on its lies and deceipt and I'm sure is looking for someone with the cojones to step up to the plate.

Who will be the next real journalist? Or are you afraid you will lose your preferred seat in the press room?

Yes, the Republicans have found that lies do work. Look at the polling that shows that there are Americans that believe to this day that there were WMD in Iraq and that Iraq was involved with AL-Queda when it has been proven false. Dick Cheney has continued to propound these lies knowing that they are false. The present administration has been allowed to get away with so many lies without any consequences and their followers continue to believe it.
I still am getting emails from people I know that Obama is a Muslim and other lies about his campaign staff and himself. When a nation gets to the point that they are willing to believe the lie instead of the truth they are no better than the Germans that believed Hitler's lies about the Jews.
If a Republican's mouth is open you can they are lying nowadays. It is dangerous and people need to wake up and stand for something decent again.

John McCain's message to all americans...QUOTE "MY FRIENDS"

www.cspanjunkie.org

"Subcommittee members who voted Yes for H.R. 5882:

Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA)

Representative Luis Gutierrez (D-IL)

Representative Howard Berman (D-CA)

Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA)

Representative Bill Delahunt (D-MA)

Representative Linda Sanchez (D-CA)

Representative Keith Ellison (D-MN)

Representative Anthony Weiner (D-NY)

Subcommittee members who voted No for H.R. 5882:

Representative Steve King (R-IA)"

they want to increase h1b visas to over 500,000 instead of the current 65,000 limit...

For six years, I've watched and listened our Army generals glibly
warbling as they embellished circumstances about a non-winnable,
militarily-draining, financially-attriting war, and as they
unashamedly promoted their and Bush's "Success-Is-Ours" dishonest
tripe about the Iraq War.

For more than six months I've listened to "23-Combat Hours" McCain
blather one conspicuous untruth after another in this presidential
campaign---even after his statements were/are repeatedly proven to be falsehoods, brazen lies.
Enough.
I think maybe it's time to change the Honor Code of our US Naval
Academy and our US Military Academy, the institutions which nurtured McCain and most of our current politically-skewed Army generals
Our military academies' honor code has been and is currently, : "I
will not lie, cheat or steal…"

My suggested new honor code for USMA and USNA would be:
"I will not lie, cheat or steal, and if I ever get promoted beyond Major or Lieutenant Commander I promise, nay, swear to tell the truth at least 50 percent
of the time.

Floyd McGurk (CIB, Vietnam. Father of two West Point grads, father-in-law of one West Point grad. All three in Iraq now. Two on second tours in the damnable pre-emptive Iraq war for which this nation will be deservedly punished.)

Anonymous at 1:50 a.m.:

"Are they in a battle with the NYT to be the most liberal paper in the country or does it just me?"

It's just you.

I find almost all the newspapers in this country, including the Washington Post and the New York Times, to be far from liberal. The best that can be said of the Times is that it's mostly centrist. The Post has been disgustingly pro-Bush for eight years. But, then, shrilling out "liberal media, liberal media, liberal media" has served the right-wing very well. And some fools even seem to believe that it's true.

and, yet, e.j., with all of the examples you just cannot bring yourself to use the word 'lies'.

Wondering where "our" attack dog, Joe Biden, is and has been. He is the man to jump in there and push these haters on the ubbra-conservative side (now, looks like ALL of "them") back in the smelly corner from where they came.

Come on, Joe - get to work. Many of us were so pleased you were the VP candidate of choice. You have the experience, intellegence and ability to step up to the plate when the bases are loaded in bottom of 9th, and hit that homer.

"Those" on the the other side are doing NOTHING but what they have done, sucessfully, every 4 years. They have NO platform, no plan, only lies, insults, and an unlimited amount of trash to throw.

Let's start telling it like it is - happy to see the Post starting to step forward also. Keep it up (God, this all makes me sick, again).

The lies are bad enough. The truly sickening story is how the media has totally abdicated. The Fourth Estate is dead. There is no news there. Juxtaposing a reading of the talking points of each side is not reporting, is not journalism, and is not helpful. I'm thinking of Larry King surrendering his show for free to third rate opposition operatives during the conventions. I submit last night's example of Anderson Cooper "exposing" a fifth rate obviously lying fool as some sort of hard hitting fact finding in the blogoswamp only to follow it up with a special on fainting goats. Or the previous piece in which a certified scientist is balanced off with a certifiable Palin family friend to “illuminate” the governor's record on the environment. Two days of valuable pre-election information time has been wasted on debating the proposition that if pigs wear lipstick will they still be able to fly. It's bad enough that no one knows how to think any more. But it's truly the end of empire when the traditional guardians at the gate of information on our elected leaders choose to self-indumbinate. That sun setting in Alaska is rising in China.

Memo to E.J. Dionne:

Why would you be surprised, after the past eight years, by anything put out by GOP candidates or their surrogates? If they can (and have) gotten away with the biggest lie of all, viz., that we are safer from terrorism with a Republican administration (WHO WAS IN POWER FOR NEARLY NINE MONTHS _BEFORE_ THE 9/11 ATTACKS??), do you really think voters care about "little" lies about taxes and education, etc.?

Surely you're aware -- and the latest polls indicate it -- that the average American voter has the attention span of a flea.

Your comment is awaiting moderation.

Stop it! I can’t laugh anymore! It hurts!

You Lib’s just don’t get it. You are either to young or uneducated to know better.

There is no way Obama can win. None. Zero.

Obama and you had a Dream. It was only a Dream.

Facts are, and History proves, that the majority of the population simply will not vote for such a far left liberal at a time when the house and senate are controlled by a single party, compounded even more when they(Congress) are so far left themselves.

Get used to it. It was only a dream.

What frightens me about all this, is that McCain cares so little about this country, because he chose someone who would be a heartbeat away from the Presidency (were he to be elected) who apparently is not ready to assume such an enormous responsibility because they fear that she will not be able to hold her own in a public interview. Now, what kind of expression of "country first" is this?

I just had a great idea, why doesn't every citizen either call or fax John McCains official office and let him know how outrageous you think his lies are and he needs to stop, NOW!515-418-9270 Office fax is 515-276-9255 ...
illinois.johnmccain.com This is the only number I could find quickly, but I'm sure someone can come up with the National number. Make sure you include your Name and address so they will realize you are a valid person and not a crank.

The John McCain attack ad purporting that Barack Obama advocates age-appropriate and science-based sex education in schools has again exposed the general lack of understanding that the public has about sex education. Most of the negative comments about Obama on internet blogs seem to make the assumption that the intention of age-appropriate and science-based sex education is to teach very young children about intercourse and other adult sexual activities. That is not what Obama meant and it is not something that young children even have the capacity to grasp.

What Obama was talking about was warning young children about sexual predators and explaining concepts like “good touch and bad touch.” A specific example would be teaching young children that it is inappropriate to touch ANYONE else without their permission, including other children. This is a very important lesson and one that should be reinforced by teaching the children how to comfortably say "NO" when they are asked and do not wish to be physically touched in any way. In addition to the problem of sexual predators, children can be very disrespectful to other children and their early experiences, particularly in the public schools, often leave scars that last a lifetime.

Other industrialized countries that teach age-appropriate and science-based sex education in the public schools have much lower rates of unwanted teenage pregnancy, abortion and STDs. Also, many studies have shown that the more age-appropriate and science-based sex education a person has, ,on average, the longer they will delay the age of initial intercourse.

It is vital that we all understand the issues involved with this discussion (the very safety of very young as well as older children) and how important they are to all of us, our society and, especially our children.
----
Gary Schubach, Ed.D., A.C.S.
http://www.DoctorG.com

Does the fact that Alaska exports oil and natural gas to Japan make any difference to the 'foreign oil' crowd?

Answer: Probably not.

"Alaska exported $203 million of petroleum products to Japan in 2005. $136 million of the total petroleum products export value was liquefied natural gas from the Kenai Peninsula plant owned by Marathon and ConocoPhillips. The LNG loading facility in Nikiski, Alaska and the regasification facility in Negishi, Japan were the two terminals that pioneered LNG marine transport in 1969. Alaska LNG export to Japan has been continuous since then."

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/trade/2005/partners/japan_export2005.php

"Does the truth matter anymore?" We should be asking " Does it matter that McCain is so radical, he even supports child molesters?" He talks about defending America and yet McCain won't even defend our children. This is one disgusting and grumpy old man.

Does the truth matter? No, not to the majority of voters. Otherwise, would they be so easily swayed? Otherwise would they have voted for Bush A SECOND TIME?

Our "democracy" has been boiled down to mob-rule orchestrated by the Karl Rove's of the world.

Interestingly, the press are the only ones who can end the madness by NOT FOLLOWING THE ORCHESTRATORS, like Rove. But they won't because they love to generate controversy which in turn generates ad revenue. So there is no way out.

I think the Jehovah's Witnesses are right. Mankind is just simply not able to govern itself. If the Jehovah's Witnesses weren't such compassionate people, I bet they'd be sitting back and laughing their rear ends off.

Yeah, politics. What a joke.

But go ahead voters, candidates, and news outlets. Continue to embarrass yourselves into oblivion. It is rather amusing to watch.

To Bob: Yes it is class warfare but it isn't just that these owners are wealthy it is that they are corporations which operate all over the world and are citizens nowhere. They have no loyalty to anyone or anything except making money and big bonuses. Look at the CEO's of Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac who will probably walk with their millions in bonuses and severance packages just like the other corporations that have gone down the tube. We should not be surprised at the attitudes our young people have because we have yet to get our own houses in order. Young people are naturally optimistic and hopeful until they are crushed by the lack of spine of adults to stand up for what is right and make consequences for those that lie, cheat, steal and kill without taking responsibility for any of it.

TRUTH IN AMERICA ? THIS IS A REALLY BAD JOKE.

I'[m glad to see that the media have awakened from their stupor and are pushing back. I wish someone would let CNN in on the secret.

But I suspect it will do no good. The diehard REpubls just want control and doddering/flashy puppets then can hide behind - that pesky commandment about not lying? not on their radar. The "hockey moms" who see in Palin a "God Fearing CHRIstian" who understands the real concerns of Americans - well, the puppetmasters have already told them that it is the media who is lying, not Palin, and they won't be bothered looking at FActcheck.com

age appropriate sex ed for kindergarten is simply that you don't let your classmates touch you and don't talk to strangers. that's been taught in kindergarten forever. get over it.

Posted by: JoeT
**********************
You wonder if any of these simps have children. I had to have that difficult conversation with my little one not too long ago that not all people are nice and you cannot let them put their hands on you. I was grateful that this along with other safety issues was emphasized appropriately in school. It opens lines of communication that are necessary. Think of the children molested by priests who needed to know that it was never okay for an adult to touch you like that!

Not only has the GOP base shrunk, but its members have turned into reactionary, ignorant drones with zero common sense, based on the comments here.

Sick. Sick. Sick.

I saw the ad and was sickened by it. EVERYONE knows that NO politician would EVER sponsor or vote for a bill that does what that ad says it did.

The ad is so incredibly low that it could even backfire. Let's hope so.

So much for McCain's pledge of an "honorable" campaign.

We Americans voted in the C student whom we would most like to "have a beer with" - twice! Now we want to elect the party boy who finished at the bottom of his class & the Beauty Queen? Why? Because they are just like us (White), and after 12 years of public service, we don't know enough about the scary, uppity, elitist Black guy - who only has a good speech.

If you check out the overseas newspapers & blogs, you will see that the rest of the world is laughing at us.

John McCain has dishonored his own service to this country by the Rovian depths to which he is willing to stoop to get gain the Presidency.

His Vice-Presidential choice is a disgrace to the very notion of "Country First" that he so brazenly proclaims. He ought to be shamed from the public stage.

Unfortunately, Americans appear to be not the least bit trap wise. Let them smell a tasty bit of cheese and they fall for it every time. Snap!

The average mouse is an awful lot smarter than the American public taken as a whole.

To Joe T:
Not talking to strangers doesn't work when it is incest like your father, uncle, cousin, brother. It happens all of the time and if it starts when the girl is practically a baby 2 or 3 years old, it doesn't always get discovered until the child is irreparably harmed.

San Diego,

Did it ever occur that the political --- on both sides --- is just a sideshow, and that the majority of the populace want their voice heard (hence Democratic congresses), but want adults driving the bus (hence Republican presidents)?

Give Barry a few more years. He might actually end up being a Workhorse in the Senate ... not a Showhorse. But, in the Senate he shall stay.

The smartest thing I've done in the recent years was to marry a Canadian. If, beyond all possible reason, McShame/Palid win the election, we are so gone to the Great White North.

I love this country, but I barely recognize it and its liberties anymore. Four more years of an Republican administration will be the death rattle of the American Way and Century.

John McCain has reduced the nobility of American politics to a sad picture for the world to watch. He is as reckless as George Armstrong Custer. ..................
http://thefiresidepost.com/2008/09/11/john-mccain-is-general-george-armstrong-custer/

Question: is any kind of sex ed appropriate in kindergarten? Frankly, I thought this was the kind of thing better left to parents.

To reply to this question above: Did you know that there were books designed for young children to tell them about talking to strangers and improper touching? This is because so many children are being abused, violated and all other indiginities that no person let alone precious children should have to endure. When I was in elementary they taught sex education (which there are different messages given to different ages and parents had the right to let their children participate or not) and I was born in 1984 so it wasn't that long ago. Children need to be taught this and a lot of parnets don't for whatever their reasons may be. But our babies are being kidnapped and violated because they haven't been taught. This is a good thing for all children. Let's see past our hatred and bias' and hear what is being proposed for the future of this world. Which are the children.

The biggest lie of all here in this blog and EJ himself.......Hey EJ - now tell me exactly how truthful BO has been? And I'm sure his commercials are 100% accurate..NOT.
And I'm sure Daily KOS and Move.org NEVER NEVER NEVER lie..and we should take their word to the bank...NOT.
LOL...You Dems are so twisted its not funny....amazing how 1 women has got the whole Dem party's shorts tied up in a knot....Gotta luv it!

Oh by the way - will someone please once again tell me what experience actually qualifies BO as President? Community organizing...honorable....but not exactly presidential......His experience in State Leg....with all those 'present' votes....naa - can't be that - a president needs to take positions and be a decider. Possibly his 4 years as a senator...naa..cant be that - he's been on the rode for the past 2 years.....oH thats right he ran a successful campaign against Hillary....who oh by the way stated he was not ready to be President along w/ Biden. So was he ready before they said he was ready after they said he wasn't ready....lol.

Your readers seem to be under the impression that the famed Willie Horton ad that help sink the Dukakis candidacy was a Republican trick. Actually, it was borrowed from Al Gore, not notably a Republican, when he was running against Dukakis in the primaries of 1988.

It is a lie to think of the Willie Horton ad as solely the work of the G.O.P. Its origin was with the 2000 Democratic candidate for president, who, by the way, lost that election.

The smartest thing I've done in the recent years was to marry a Canadian. If, beyond all possible reason, McShame/Palid win the election, we are so gone to the Great White North.

I love this country, but I barely recognize it and its liberties anymore. Four more years of an Republican administration will be the death rattle of the American Way and Century.

Posted by: Lochivarr | September 10, 2008 4:45 PM

=============================

BYE _ BYE.....Canada is a perfect spot for you - it's close to a socialist country about now.

I always thought something was really creepy about McCain. His coddling of child predators is the last straw for me. I have made my voting decision and it will not be for McCain.

Wow! I am really amazed at responses from people here on McCain's campaign tactics. This isn’t really on topic: usually commentary here is kinda split and there’s a lot of back-and-forth. The almost universal vilification of McCain for using this ad, and at the McCain campaign’s “outrage” at the lack of “deference” and the lipstick remark, just ain’t playin’ real good. Somebody ought to show the McCain folks all the riled-up comments by (now) ex-Republicans, conservatives, and independents who abhor his dive into the gutter. I’m sure they’re tracking responses. Think this is gonna play well everywhere/anywhere, or is the whole country gonna hammer him for approving this slime?

What is "adult" about the kind of low, divisive, culture war campaigns the Republican party has given us the last three elections?

What is "adult" about the gross incompetence, not to mention more skillful looting of the public treasury for big contributors' private gain, that Bush and his administration have practiced these last 7 years?

Repeating cliches about the Democratic and Republican parties does not make them true.

We can let the Karl Rove dirty politics get us down. Let's fight for Obama to the end. I know he will provail.

truth does matter and we all seek it if you have a conscience. unfortunately some do not have that working in their brains so we have the deceptacons roaming amongst us...
yes, we all have a capability of lying,
not stretching the truth but down right lying and fantasizing. if gov. palin were truly a good christian she wouldn't be lying about what she voted for when and etc...it WILL come out just as the spinners working for mccain. i am sure he is being told that to win, you gotta behave like the slimebag, karl 'marx' rove and dickless cheney...

hate slimebags!

Dear Anonymous,

If, by meaning Canada is "close to a socialist country by now." and you are referring to the United States, I think you're on to something...

Regards

sailhardy, you're full of it. The Willie Horton ad was the brainchild of one single Republican - Lee Atwater. He not only boasted of it, he apologized for it when he was dying of a brain tumor.

Jimmy Dillon -- do you have a date/time when Jesus Christ is coming??? Don't think so.. more distraction.

I am extremely proud of the Obama camp. I don't know of many who can take the high road after so many smears and lies. I am a voter of issues. I hope this is the stance of my fellow countryman as well!! My question to The McCain cam is, "How far do you think you can go with talking about the competition and not about the issues voters care about?" Tell be about how you plan to fix this economy or how to rebuild our credibility in a world view, or how I am going to be able to heat my home for less than $565 a month. That is more than my mortgage!!! I wouldn't care if the next president was a green man from Mars. If he can address some those issues, he has my vote!!! It is clear to me who is the better candidate in this race is!! OBAMA!!

Rosewren02: you missed my point. I was responding to the idiots who oppose age appropriate education in the schools. I agree with you completely. I was just pointing out that in most schools they already do what the bill Obama supported does.

I think the so called mainstream media is so cowered by Fox News and Rush Limbaugh's claims that they are biased for liberals that they are afraid to attack McCain as a liar, and the McCain folks who see that are making the most of the free pass they are getting

The truth is that you don't even have to particularly like Obama as a candidate to despise what McCain and his Rovian campaign managers are attempting to do to this country yet again.

If they succeed, we will have one more administration with no mandate other than their ability to sucker the American public to act upon its lowest, most petty personal instincts.

As we have seen with the Bush administration, a presidency lacking any clear mandate almost of necessity feels free to do pretty much as it pleases, while using the same divisive, lying political tactics that got it elected to evade accountability for whatever it chooses to do in office.

I wish someone would air a TV ad exposing McCain as someone who is against protecting children from child molesters. McCain's dirty campaign has opened the door for this response, so Obama should just do it. Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire.

Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others. Giving everyone the right to vote does not insure its intelligent use. Exhibit 1, the current occupant of the White House, put there with the help of the Sup. Court, but then clearly re-elected by an electorate now totally disenchanted, but also apparently prepared to make the same mistake again. Truth should matter, eight years of disastrous failure should matter, but guile, distraction and clever packaging matter more.

Energy Crisis
Economic Crisis
Deficit Crisis
Healthcare Crisis
Mortgage Crisis
Iraqi War Crisis

All brought to you courtesy of your friends at the GOP!

Several commenters have said that they wouldn't want their kindergartener being told about inappropriate touching. Well, the bill that Obama supported in Illinois allowed parents to opt out for their kids, like all sex education classes. So parents who are too squeamish to let their children learn that strangers shouldn't touch their private parts can shield their children from that discussion. But if those parents really think that teachers at school are watching their children 100% of the time, they are naive.

Lord, please have Obama continue to use that Bridge to Nowhere line. It has progressed from a dumb attack almost all the way to a Big Lie. Obama voted for that bridge -- twice! So did Joe Biden. Obama has requested almost a billion dollars in earmarks in just three years of being in the Senate; McCain doesn’t earmark at all.

Yes, E.J., the truth matters. You should t