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

[mergina]

It is so easy to despise the American political process.

[pk8679]

Scare tactics work for the Republicans, why not for the Dems? All Obama has to say is that when McCain and Palin take us to war in Iran and Russia (and listening to them I would say the chances are good) then every eligible man and woman will be sent to fight. Our military is stretched to the limit right now so it will be impossible to fight all these wars without REINSTATING THE DRAFT (which McCain says he does not disagree with). Then just keep repeating the draft threat over and over and over and over......­... Maybe throw in that darn mushroom cloud for effect. It doesn't seem to matter if it's true or not. You just have to keep repeating it until people THINK it's true. Oh, and of course, the people who voted Republican should go first.....­..

[missy53]

I agree

[Facts4u]

I just watched the Chuck Gibson interview and heard Palin say she voted for it before she voted against it so I can't understand why I keep seeing posts about her lieing about it.

This is so sad.

Seems like people lieing about someone else telling lies. Which is worse? They are the real scum if you ask me. Lets just deal in facts so people can make a well informed decision.

[anelder]

Another person who only listens to a sound bite and a response. No check on the facts.
It's all over the place because Gov. Palin was for it, worked for it, lobbbied for it, and when the Congress of the US decided it shouldn't ( due to the wave of negatives) then, and only then did she say no.

What did she say no to is a mystery because she did not return the money; she just kept it for other things. Now, how would you read that. I call it a giant earmark that was lobbied for but they goofed when they designated for such a boneheaded reason.

[crat4ever]

I've had a glass of wine of 2 by now and I can say this without concern for your moral sensibilit­ies...you'­re just a GOP roboidiot. Yup, yup I said it...you are a willing idiot in this game. You are complicit in the deception that is becoming the downfall of your life. You couldn't be so blind, deaf and stupid enough to NOT have seen your favorite veep candidate say over, over, and over again..."I told the Congress: Thanks but no thanks to that bridge to no...blah, blah, blah." She said it even in the face of all that was true, holy and on the friggin' tv and IT WAS A LIE. Charlie called her on it and she had to man up...which she didn't quite do, now did she? Put your big girl pants on and tell the truth. This election is too important to all of us for you to keep lying to yourself.

[brief candle]

Get her to say it with her hand on the bible.

[2faced]

Thank you Paul B. No doubt McCain's service to the country is worthy of recognition and they can flaunt it all the time. However, something must have gone wrong in McCain's brain that he lies thru his teeth on every issue. He lied about his age to Cindy so he could get married. We care less about his age but his wacky policies and political lies have to be brought out in the air. Every ad he puts on air has to be thrashed out by the surrogates if the not by the opposition candidates. I see on CNN the republican leaning analysts like Alex, Leslie and Bay Buchanan have the loudest voices trying to drown everybody. Paul and others should get a leg up on all the 'code and not so code words' these guys are using. There are only 53 days left. McCain-Palin are getting energized for nothing even after all their lies are floating like dust. Give them their own medicine till they puke.

[xkater]

Hurray Paul Begala for an excellent piece here. Not only McCain is out of touch and Palin ignorant of how the World works, unfurtunately we have a lot of Americans who remained frozen in time and in a simplistic, but very emotional way of thinking.

They are now the voting base of the Republican Party. Their concept of Europe, for instance, is that it should be eternally grateful for saving them from the Nazis. Europe IS grateful, but they did a lot of growing up as a result and now they are our equal partners. They expect us to honor that. We are reluctant.

Their concept of patriotism is chest bangign and flag-waving but lacking substance.

They confuse spirituality with religion and they don't see how corrupt and self-serving clergy is.

They see no problem with being pro-life andpro-war. HUH?

In essence, they were not educated in the spirit of critical thinking. They think with their emotions. They cannot distinguish between fact and opinion either, hence they can be talked into anything. If Karl Rove puts the word out that they need to jump off the 10th floor, to show their patriotism, they might just do it.

[marysandra]

xkater..my hat is off to you..As Harry Truman famously asked "When are you going to stop voting for the people who are beating you over the head?" {paraphrase, sorry} I can understand the thrill of neo-cons and ceo's and billionaires over McCain/Paliln but the average working person or small business owner, are you kidding me? I know a small business owner, in fact, who says the 'Republicans are good for bussiness" Yeah, I guess, if you are Exon..Othe­rwise if you have less than thousands of employees, this ticket is a joke...

[roneco]

You really need to educate yourself, marysandra. Democrats are destroying this country.
75 Trillion Dollars in debt. And no idea of how to solve problems, except to throw taxpayers dollers at each opportunity.

[HMC77]

Obama wants to raise taxes on anyone making 250,000 or more. This will include small business owners. I know the Democratic Party tries to run with the idea of class warfare to scare people into voting for them - those big, bad successful people - why should they have it all - but last I checked, raising taxes on both small and big businesses wasn't good for business. His proposal is basically wealth redistribution - a socialist proposition in effect. I rather prefer incentives that encourage success, rather than an attitude that demeans and vilifies it.

[littleblackcat]

Wonderfully well said.

[HMC77]

I must take issue with the logic in this comment. You accuse the voting base of the Repub. party as being absent of critical thought, yet your own points, ironically, lack true supportive argument.
It's illogical to group the majority of Republican's into these categories. The yin to your yang would be if were to accuse all Democrats of being whiny, baby-killing, anti-military, anti-religion, anything-goes big spenders. I'm certain there are Dems who are pro-life or religious, who support our military and believe in fiscal responsibility. So your whole supposed arguments are merely fallacies.
Specifically, most of those who hold to a spiritual faith also have the ability to separate their spiritual beliefs from their spiritual leaders. Obviously there are clergy who've erred, but the majority have not and serve well.
And I've seen this argument of pro-life vs. pro-war repeatedly, and it makes me laugh quite frankly. How can anyone with sense compare choosing to take an innocent, unborn human life to taking the life of someone who wants to kill you or endanger the lives of fellow citizens?
I say this without avarice, if you want to be taken seriously, formulate some serious arguments.

[Vyvjala]

hmc77, where have you been the last eight years? The only thing the republican party hasn't been absent of is GREED!....­..........­...

[oldyippie]

I do not want a nonblinker with her finger on The Button"

[oldyippie]

absolutely the media must make these mccain lies accountable. I don't understand
the kid gloves when the corporate media have children and grandchildren too. aren't they worried
about having a nonblinker with her finger on the button?

[HARVIN]

I dug Begala's story but there is no need to ask the question whether or not the media will call out McCain and Palin for lying.Ever­ybody knows the answer is no. The Motels did a great song a few years back called "Everybody Knows". I think of it each time the media lies about McCain lying about Palin lying.Noth­ing in the degenerate human condition ever truly changes anyway. Decades ago Adlai Stevenson,a thoughtful Democrat said something like "If you Republicans agree to stop lying about us Democrats, we'll stop telling the truth about you Republican­s." Obama should do what John Kerry and Al Gore didn't , wouldn't do. He should sharpen his elbows,roll up his sleeves,look directly into the camera and call McCain and Palin liars...an­d soon. I'm sure he will too...when pigs fly.

[research]

The View call McCain's ads lies.

[roneco]

That MUST make it official then ! Did it ever occur to you that three of the four are ultra liberal DUMOCRATS ?

[Blackstock]

Tomorrow will never be the same as yesterday. I don't want simple-minded people running our country because black and white decisions don't exist. I need someone educated who can work on multiple levels and LEAD, not just DECIDE. McCain will just DECIDE things based on his own personal beliefs. Obama will lead to make better decisions for the country and the proof is all in his history as a student, as a teacher and as a leader of one of the most amazing and well-executed campaigns in the modern era which was started from scratch. He's built a real bridge and it goes to the future.

[AmazingChicken]

Are you suggesting he "listens to his gut?"

[roneco]

The only problem I see is that his bridge will cost us a fortune, in addition to the fortune it has already cost us!

[Blackstock]

I know that ALL politicians make adjustments to their viewpoints over time as they learn more about the complxities involved with their decisions but this is why we need to get people in the White House who have proven themselves. Palin has clearly demonstrated in the interview that she has little grasp of of the wider picture of foriegn affairs and John McCain has clearly demonstrated that he's out of touch with modern economic issues, modern diplomacy, modern education needs, or basically anything else modern.

Obama is a modern leader whose proof lies in the campaign he's run, the plans he's prepared and his grasp of the whole picture. The question is does America want to go backwards or forwards. Bear in mind that Reagan was quite successful arguing a basic principle that he wanted the country to go backwards to a simpler time and this has been the basic platform of the Republicans ever since. A simple life where decisions are black and white. Some people DO want to go backwards because the good old days are always better in hindsight but the reality is YOU can't go back...eve­r.

[Shake-A-Spear]

Like that plane Sarah "put" on E-Bay. Notice she didn't say she "sold" it on E-Bay It was not SOLD on -e-bay but separately for a several-mi­llion-doll­ar loss. It all depend on what you mean by "put." -- and how the Rovians hope you interpret it so they can avoid the charge of outright lying.
On that Bridge to Nowhere she voted against it after she voted FOR it, BUT she kept the 200 million bucks of Fed bridge money that came her way after her first vote.
Sarah's as slippery as a greased pig, with or without its lipstick.

[Seiko]

The lie "thanks but no thanks" is bigger than originally reportd. She implies that she did this to fight government waste and corruption. SHE KEPT THE MONEY PEOPLE! Someone needs to look into those BS contracts that we paid for!!

[thesummerone]

It really distresses me that most forms of media seem to gloss over the lies being spread regarding Palin's views, experience, and possible abuses of of power.

[roneco]

Funny that it doesn't seem to bother you that the LIBERAL media ignores the plethora of Democratic lies.

[thesummerone]

It really distresses me that newspapers and the press seem to gloss over the lies being spread Palin's views, experience, and possible abuse of pregarding ower.

[mycall8]

Yeah, saw her interview in part on CNN in Austria. I am an american living and working in Europe. Yikes, I got a chill down my spine when she said that. UInfortunately, we as a world have to ive with these types of mentalities and uninformed decisions. What is the real issue in Georgia? oil. Do we really need other members in NATO. Better to not build up defenses and policies that creat greater opportunities for conflict not less. Didn't McSame also say that in the 21st century countire don't attack countries any more (exept the US of course). How does that fit into building up forces that won't be used. Better to build partnerships for peace. The opportunities that were lost there durng the Bush Crime familys tenure are festering and getting worse. We should not be building missle defenses in Europe against "Iran" we should be cooperating in partnership for peace together. Not building defenses and getting ready for war. Most of the American public mistakenly thinks that Russia attacked Georgia...­.. this is not the case. Yes, they over reacted but in response to Georgias attack of the break away provences. All this the result of the american military training and guidance similar to what happen with our training of El Salvador and Guatemala in the 80s. another disater that created death squads and murder with americas expert training. Better to let peoples decide which country they want to be or be aligned with. Let them be....

[bellindaba]

Paul,

Keep telling it like it is. The lies abound and they don't care when they're caught. Karl Rove philosophy in full swing here. Too bad the rest of the world hasn't come to know him quite as well yet as Texans do despite what he and Dick Cheney and George W. Bush all did to Valerie Plame.

Charlie Gibson's interview with Sarah Palin revealed her to not be quite as up on current affairs as serious contenders at the "MISS AMERICA PAGEANT." I've seen better answers to current event questions in beauty pageants than the answers she was giving Gibson tonight.

Obviously, Sarah Palin has for sometime now modeled her physical image and her earlier sportscaster career after former Miss America Phyllis George. I only have one thing to say to that as well.

"Governor, I know Phyllis George.... and you are no Phyllis George."

and

"Governor, you are, also, no Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton."

ANN RICHARDS!!!!! MOLLY IVINS!!!!! WHERE ARE YOU WHEN WE NEED YOU!!!!!

ENOUGH is ENOUGH!

Paul, keep telling them that old Texas saying you've mentioned before:

"DON'T PEE ON MY LEG AND TRY TO TELL ME THAT IT'S RAINING!"

[roneco]

Why do you Democrats think that Hillary refused to be vetted ? Too many skeletons ?