The McCain-Palin Lies and the Neil Armstrong Principle

If John McCain and Sarah Palin were to say the moon was made of green cheese, we can be certain that Barack Obama and Joe Biden would pounce on it, and point out it's actually made of rock. And you just know the headline in the paper the next day would read: "CANDIDATES CLASH ON LUNAR LANDSCAPE."

Why doesn't somebody call Neil Armstrong? He's been there. Or go to the Smithsonian and open the glass case that contains a piece of the moon. The moon is a rock. That's a fact, Jack.

Facts are indeed stubborn things, but the McCain-Palin lies are more stubborn still.

In the face of demonstrable, provable, incontrovertible evidence to the contrary, McCain and Palin continue to assert that Gov. Palin opposed the infamous "Bridge to Nowhere." They do so in their speeches and ads, and their supporters say so on television until their pants are on fire. McCain and Palin also claim the Alaska governor opposes earmarks -- despite the fact that she's gotten her state so much pork she's at risk for trichinosis.

I was in the middle of a Neil Armstrong Moment when I was on CNN Tuesday morning. Rather than let McCain and Palin get away with their lie, anchor John Roberts played a videotape of Sarah Palin in a 2006 gubernatorial debate in which she endorsed the bridge from Ketchikan to Gravina Island saying, "I'm not going to stand in the way of progress that our congressional delegation and the position of strength that they have right now." Perhaps her supporters, noting Palin's support for banning books, teaching creationism and doubting global warming will argue that for her, calling the bridge "progress" was her way of saying she was against it.) But the Anchorage Daily News forecloses that option, reporting, "In September, 2006, Palin showed up in Ketchikan on her gubernatorial campaign and said the bridge was essential for the town's prosperity."

After the videotape ran, I said the media was at fault for letting Palin and McCain get away with "flat out lies." GOP strategist Alex Castellanos manfully tried to shine a cow patty, saying, "The amazing thing about Sarah Palin is when she became governor she actually stood up and said no."

Increasingly frustrated, I pointed out that just was not true, and the "debate" continued.

Most of political debate is subjective: who's more qualified, who's more compassionate, whose experience is more relevant, who has better ideas on health care or energy or global warming or the economy? There is no Objective Truth on those matters, and debate -- even when voices are sometimes raised -- can help voters decide who they agree with. On those matters of subjective judgment it's perfectly appropriate for the media to hold the coats of the candidates and let them fight it out.

But facts ought not be debatable. The media have an obligation to point out when a politician is lying about a matter of fact, but the right-wing attack machine has so cowed some of them you can almost hear them moo. Steve Schmidt, McCain's top dog, is a brilliant and audacious strategist. His candidate has had the most favorable press coverage of any politician of the last century -- fawning, adoring, sycophantic press coverage. And yet he is brutalizing the press, waterboarding them into pretending that whether Gov. Palin supported the "Bridge to Nowhere," or hired an Abramoff-connected lobbyist to secure massive earmarks are somehow debatable.

The real debate is over whether the media will be vigilant watchdogs, sounding the alarm when McCain and Palin lie, or fall back to the role they've played for most of McCain's career: lapdog.

Comments

[jamesdaddio]

I am a fan of Paul Begala and would like to know his thoughts on the the new Oliver Stone movie.

[Goldwater2]

Bin Laden: Goal is to bankrupt U.S.
Al-Jazeera releases full transcript of al Qaeda leader's tape
Monday, November 1, 2004 Posted: 8:07 PM EST (0107 GMT)

We are continuing this policy in bleeding America to the point of bankruptcy. Allah willing, and nothing is too great for Allah," bin Laden said in the transcript.

He said the mujahedeen fighters did the same thing to the Soviet Union in Afghanistan in the 1980s, "using guerrilla warfare and the war of attrition to fight tyrannical superpowers."

"We, alongside the mujahedeen, bled Russia for 10 years until it went bankrupt and was forced to withdraw in defeat," bin Laden said.
The total U.S. national debt is more than $7 trillion. The U.S. federal deficit was $413 billion in 2004, according to the Treasury Department.
"And it all shows that the real loser is you," he said. "It is the American people and their economy."

As for President Bush's Iraq policy, Bin Laden said, "the darkness of black gold blurred his vision and insight, and he gave priority to private interests over the public interests of America.

"So the war went ahead, the death toll rose, the American economy bled, and Bush became embroiled in the swamps of Iraq that threaten his future," bin Laden said.
_
Wow, it looks like Bin Laden is accomplishing his goal.
Why hasn't Bush made getting him a priority?
It's been 7 years now.

[lipstickisSO50s]

I am very frustrated that the gullible public seems to be falling for the Palin movie-star press machine, hook, line, and sinker. The more lies they (Mrs. Lipstick and Grandpa's machine) spin, the more they go up in the polls, on a seemingly minute-by-minute basis. I am so frustrated. I am a mother, a student, a scientist. I fear that the Beverly Hillbillies as I like to call them (watch an old episode, then flash to our current GOP candidates and tell me I'm wrong) will take the White House and have a big old Moose-hunting party in lieu of an inauguration ball, and I am scared. I am scared that my daughter may have to shimmy down to Mexico to get an illegal abortion one day, if that situation should arise, and I am scared too that the miracle that is stem cell research will be halted.
The press seems to be going along with the Palin-as-movie-star phenomena, almost seeming to be paid McCain Palin employees at times.
Paul Begala, you have been my political Voice Of Reason for some time. PLEASE CONTINUE YOUR wonderful work getting the word out and trying to STOP the madness that is the McCain campaign. You are performing a public service.
Thank you.
And Paul, beauty is a subjective thing.
You are way WAY cuter than George Clooney.
Hands down.
Paul please keep doing the great work you do.

[Enry]

It's not that important what the lie was about. It's that it's lie after lie after lie. If the lies from McCain/Palin are coming this effortlessly now, Imagine how easy they will feel about lying about anything and everything after they're elected. Hmmm, who does that sound like?

[marc04]

Thanks for being the only person so far to mention Phil Gramm and his push for deregulation. It's crazy because this is what they call "low lying fruit". This guy is the standard that McCain chose as a personal advisor and he is just out of sight and not distanced from the McCain campaign. Pushing for deregulation and ultra-free marketplaces is a republican ideal, the dems just get onboard sometimes. Deregulation is one of the underlying principles of "less government" and ideas such as "the government is in the way." Now with the economy teetering and failing left and right the republican campaign is banking on the fact that most Americans have never taken an economics class and do not have enough knowledge to accurately analyze the positions of either campaign.

[realpolitic]

Paul Begala is so correct. Facts are now considered relative. Each "side" is allowed its interpretation of the facts. This fogginess has been allowed to happen after a decades long Republican attack on the press trying to trivialize it or term it "elitist." Conservatives know their base hates the press. So an attack on the press helps with the base. But now journalists are cowed and never point to Republican mistakes or outright lies. All issues are spoken of in terms of one-side or the other, even that the moon is made of rock, as Begala says. The losers are the American public. When, if ever, will pundits become unafraid of the conservative fog machine.

[hudsuckerproxy]

"The real debate is over whether the media will be vigilant watchdogs, sounding the alarm when McCain and Palin lie, or fall back to the role they've played for most of McCain's career: lapdog."

The media were lapdogs throughout most of GWB's sorry political career. I'm not holding my breath waiting for them to start doing their jobs at this late date. If they do, I will be delighted (and frankly shocked).

[my2cnts]

george bush will go down as the worst president in history.. and if mc cain/palin are elected.. that will drive the last nail into the coffin of the republican party.

[TiredOfTheLies]

John Bush / Sarah Cheney

Would the McCain / Palin candidates be the same or worse than the Bush / Cheney regime?

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/14/us/politics/14palin.html?hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1221343324-tGxa66AkDRYq1tsNYpjoIw&pagewanted=all

[dudervision]

A thought I just had about Palin and how much she is being heralded as the woman who will break that "glass ceiling". If McCain is incapacitated while president, she becomes president, then her minimal background and experience cause her to make some seriously bad mistakes and earn her a worse reputation than George Bush, a lot of Americans will use this as an excellent excuse to say, "See, women can't be president!!!" and it will take many years to regain the lost ground.

In the end, Palin could very well doom women from being considered for president for many years!!!

Just a thought

[ItHasToGetBetter]

Agreed. I've happily seen some stations pointing out the inconsistencies, but they're few and far between. It's this odd thing that seems to happen. Whenever a Republican (for the last eight years, especially) says something against their opponent, it's all over the place. When the same charge is accurately leveled against the Repub candidate, "they're out to get him/her" or "that's different" or you never hear about it at all. What is going on? The press is making a mockery of the "freedom" they have. It looks like the only "freedom" is toeing the company line. Look what happened when Enron bullied some on Wall St. Instead of doing the job of "analysis," they went along with them out of greed, fear, intimidation, and the company imploded. In this case, our country will implode if the press doesn't start really doing its job.

[sinhan]

Never mind media as watchdogs. They are indeed lapdogs of the republicans. What about Obama campaign? Why are they not running the footage of Palin about the bridge to nowhere or the claim of selling the plane on eBay? They should run the actual footage and then call them LIARS and do it repeatedly. Truth is a powerful thing but it has to be brought clearly to an UNEDUCATED and GULLIBLE public.

[missy53]

Great commentary on tv as always, and here. The media will continue to play lapdog, and that's why Obama needs to be spending some of his warchest on ad after ad showing the hypocrisy and lies and come down hard. His high road routine will lose him a slam dunk election.

[michiganvoter]

There seems to be confusion in the world of professional journalism. When the press consistently points out lies during a campaign, even though one side is disproportionately lying, they get squeamish and fear being accused of favoring a candidate. The minute those responsible for delivering the truth to the masses even considers the fallout to telling the truth, they become complicit with the liars.

Thank you for taking such a strong stand on what is right, not what is easy, and holding the professionals accountable.

[CTmom13]

Please Paul continue to call on MCain/Palin lies....again yesterday she told her ridge to Nowhere story, so she is proving to be as ig of a liar as McCain

I do not understand why the MSM won't call it like it is, the MSM is FAILING the American People

[Findley]

News flash: MSM is owned by corporate interests...........duh. It's pretend time for the "free press" -- except at FOX where they don't have to pretend since they're on the all-GOP-all business wagon.

PAUL...........where's the 527s? Unleash them --- and someone with sav vy and sense needs to guide them to target the undecided voters...not the youth vote computer crowd "'ooh...can't use a computer" --- Big deal. FIRST RULE: KNOW YOUR TARGETED DEMOGRAPHIC....