Congressman Jack Kingston Is A Liar

Last night I attended the taping of Real Time With Bill Maher in Los Angeles and was absolutely horrified at the many lies and distortions coming unchallenged from Republican Congressman Jack Kingston. The rest of the panel, David Frum and Amy Walter, are no prizes but at least have some credibility left after Friday's episode.

Let's take a close look at Kingston's nonsense.

-- Rambling on about Michelle Obama's patriotism, Kingston either lied or is completely misinformed about her "pride" remark, "She could have jumped up and said 'You know what, that's not what I meant to say and I'm sorry if people are twisting it - this is politics,' but she hasn't said anything!" That's totally untrue; both Sen.Obama and Michelle have responded to the comments. "I know I wouldn't be here. Standing here. Barack and I, our stories wouldn't be possible if it weren't for a fundamental belief in pride in this country and what it stands for," she said on Feb 20th while campaigning in Rhode Island.

-- Kingston tells us that Obama refuses to say the Pledge Of Allegiance, citing the "famous picture" of Obama not saluting the flag. This rumor originated in an anonymous e-mail and has since been debunked repeatedly by the mainstream media. The truth is that the photo is actually of Obama singing the Star Spangled Banner. It's sad to see any elected official still parroting the lies in that now-notorious chain e-mail.

-- The Congressman says Obama wants to "Bomb Pakistan" -- which is a broad oversimplification of the truth. "Barack Obama has never said he would "attack Pakistan." According to Obama's website, he has said that he would attack "high-level terrorist targets" even within Pakistan, a policy which has been endorsed in the Washington Post by the Co-Chairmen of the 9/11 Commission, Tom Kean and Lee Hamilton.

-- Attacking Obama's legislative record, Kingston tells quite a few lies. "There is nothing out there that he's done," is an old lazy favorite. "Obama hasn't reached across party lines" is a canard Republican Senators like Bond, Coburn, Hagel, and Lugar would disagree with since each of them have worked closely on bills with Senator Obama. Kingston says Obama didn't oppose the Military Commissions Act, but he did oppose it. (Kingston talks lots about experience for a guy who spent his non-political life as an insurance salesman.)

I have no idea why Bill Maher would provide someone like Jack Kingston a national platform. This is a guy who opposes embryonic stem cell research, has sponsored resolutions calling for the Ten Commandments to be displayed in Congressional Chambers, and was a cosponsor of the original Clinton impeachment inquiry. The National Journal has called him "the most conservative member of the house." In one of his rare truthful moments, Kingston referred to Obama using his full name, just to show how utterly classless he is. An eight-term Congressman, Kingston is the strongest argument I've seen for congressional term limits. (Hell, he couldn't even pronounce Gitmo.)

Comments

[MIHOP]

I've been tracking this one, too.

This a letter I e-mailed to GA Representative Jack Kingston at http://kingston.house.gov/Contact/

You have to register to contact him. Thought you might want to send a letter, too.

Dear Representative Kingston,

I am writing to you with regard to remarks you have made about Senator Barack Obama.

I have watched you many times on Bill Maher and, while I disagree with many of your views, with few exceptions I have respected the way you present them and conduct yourself in debate. I have also respected you for taking it upon yourself to appear in what is, by definition, a truly challenging setting for conservatives. In doing so and despite the frequently comic tone, I believe you are participating in a unique and important mechanism of democracy: helping to create an informed citizenry.

This is why I listened to you with dismay during your 2/22/08 appearance on Bill Mayer and then again last night, 2/28, with Dan Abrams on MSNBC.

The subject involved the tactics that a less credible portion of the right is using to impugn Senator Obama's patriotism, tactics you have adopted of late. These involve, of course, flag pin patriotism, claims that he won't pledge allegiance, claims that he was sworn into office on a Quran (as if that's a crime, though it's not true), taunts involving his middle name, etc.

As Dan Abrams correctly asserted, these are the kind of non-substantive, intellectual-white-trash baiting ploys that we expect from rabid talk show types and whispering campaign architects, not our statesmen.

Considering what I thought I knew about you, I am appalled that you are participating in this activity and that you are doing so in such a cavalier manner. You admit that these are not substantive tactics, that you find the reaction they get from the left amusing, and that therefore we can expect you and your colleagues to continue with this behavior.

Is this the kind of activity you feel you are paid to engage in? Is it patriotic to demean and undermine the election process in this manner? Is it responsible statesmanship to contribute so thoughtlessly to the divisions in our nation?

Why not just put an ad in the paper for names for the party's caging lists if you care so little about how you and your party conducts its business?!

It causes me to question your motives and character, which I hadn't done before. I hadn't thought of you as a man who would engage in this type of middle schoolyard behavior. I would hope that you join Senator McCain and other members of your party who discourages this destructive behavior and directs the debate to the substantive matters facing our nation.

Sincerely,
Roger O. Wilcox

[BillGillespie]

My name is Lt. Col. (ret.) Bill Gillespie, and I'm Jack Kingston's Congressional election opponent this year. I decided to run for office after serving in Iraq. Here Jack goes again, seeking the spotlight and spending the taxpayers time politiking instead of serving the people of District 1. Jack is in Congress for one purpose: to represent the people of South Georgia. Partisan publicity stunts like this interview only waste taxpayers' money and make South Georgia look bad. This is no surprise though. For several years now Jack has put his political party and special interest friends ahead of the people he represents. Interestingly, the Gillespie Campaign did some research recently, and discovered that Jack doesn't wear an American flag lapel pin either! Check out the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpwZFvPZbkg
Thank you for your support. Visit my website to learn more about me: www.billforgeorgia.com

[Perspicackle]

So, is Bill getting alzheimers or something? Seems more and more he's not hearing what people are saying, not understanding it, or calling them on it. Or just stoned? *g*

[SmallAxe]

My wife and I were yelling at the TV, I couldn't believe Maher let those lies fly unchallenged. Very dissappointing. How depressing for Georgia that this is your Rep... Disgusting lies

[biglover]

Me neither, I can't believe Maher didn't pick up on it or call him on it. It was disgusting. I wonder why Bill didn't bring to his attention the fact that Kingston's name came up in the news in the last couple of months about illegal contributions.

[FOTH]

I don't know that Bill needed to do anything. Most people who watch "Real Time with Bill Maher" generally read the papers and are pretty well informed. I think Bill just sat back and let him look like an idiot. Not too hard a task by the way.

Kingston and his ilk are the best campaign ads for Democrats I've ever seen. Just listening to them makes you want to go out and vote for a Democrat.

[charlietuna11]

I'M NOT 100 PERCENT CERTAIN BUT DIDN'T KINGSTON PLAY ONE OF THE LOCAL NATIVES IN THAT MOVIE DELIVERANCE? IF IT WASN'T HIM IT HAD TO BE A CLONE..

[jmaster]

I say Bill should invite the scumbags back, but hey Bill, do your homework first and challenge them on their "points." You looked seriously underprepared. Further, find someone with some real balls (figuratively speaking) to appear on the show opposite them - Joe Conason or Rachel Maddow, for example.

[SonnyBono]

I did NOT see a US flag lapel pin on Jack Kingston suit jacket - my eye sight is still pretty good so I can only assume that he was not wearing one.

Why does Jack Kingston hate America?

Why does Jack Kingston want the terrorists to win?

Do the people of Georgia know that they have elected a traitor to the US Congress?

Why does Jack Kingston hate God?

[KaAp]

I sent an email to his office on saturday morning I urge everyone else to do so ... stuff his box and keep it stuffed he is despicable

[fun2bfree]

Write him - if you live in georgia you can email him thru his website.

[SmallAxe]

You can email from out of state too

http://kingston.house.gov/Contact/

[ohdem]

No one should be surprised. Kingston is a Republican, therefore he is a liar. All Republicans are liars. It's a requirement for membership in the party. Instead of an R after their names, they should have an L.

[Querent]

I think Kingston must have an IQ of around 80. I almost think it's a good thing to let these boobs have their say every once in awhile, just so they can prove how stupid, petty, and insignificant they really are. I don't know what Bill was doing. Maybe he just had an off night.

[zigzag1]

Bill Maher has Kingston and other Regressives on so they can make total asses of themselves and they never fail to do just that. He intentionally picks dumbasses like Kingston. Try to catch the humor, folks!

[Mickeleh]

Maher (and staff) didn't do their homework. Don't put the guy on if you aren't prepared to refute his lies and distortions. Maher is much more about atmospherics than information. I stopped watching long ago because too many right-wingers get away with too much distortion. It's rare that Maher or his panel is prepared to do any truth-squadding.

[LittleBrother]

Congressman Lies, Dissembles, Deceives, Prevaricates, Makes Shit Up!

__________________________________________

Bear Observed Excreting In Wooded Area!

__________________________________________

Film at 11.

[stlrfan]

One of Bill's worst shows, two Republi-cons and a mute. New Rule Bill, one Bushco water carrier at a time.

[TurnThePageGA]

I never knew where she was because she never said anything. I was surpised to see Bill allow Kingston put that crap out with checking him. I watched the replay later so it was too late to call in and protest Bill sitting there. Either he was not up on the facts or he is now relying totally on his writers.

[pamelagoodenough]

stirfan,
I couldn't agree more. We cannot understand why Bill thinks we want to see Frum and this Georgia crackpot on the same show. Bill had a few good panels but we are beginning to give up on Bill. Does he not know that we have the MSM to bring us the neocon views.

[biglover]

That girl was a mute wasn't she. I think she thought she should play the role of the devil's advocate. Lousy show and I am a faithful viewer.

[tecumseh80]

This show actually made me finally give up on Maher - his show has been slowly becoming worse and worse since 2005. I do not know why, but it just does not have the same magic. Kingston should be made a fool of whenever he appears in public - he is quite simply a complete idiot. David Frum should never be allowed on TV without someone sitting next to him (whom never says anything else) but a constant recitation of "Frum's a hack, Frum's a hack".

Conservatives do have tolerable and quasi-considerate partisans, but the only people put on these shows are the complete wacko-dos. I at first thought it was a liberal plot to make conservatives look stupid, but whenever these idiots talk, people like Maher do not call them out on it - that is a problem.

Kingston - is the absolute embodiment of why Aristotle said that democracy is an horrific form of government. Georgia 1st - you should be ashamed that this guy reprsents you!

[BadChristian]

I thought the show was a bomb.
There was nothing else on, so I thought I'd give Bill one more shot.
Perfect summary of it was the portion where they showed Bush talking about elections in Cuba. The clip got the biggest laugh of the night, camera pans to show republicans scowling; "You have to explain why that's funny."
... No kidding.
Might as well book some grave robbers.

I'm tired of watching these guys. They can't be serious, but they sure as HELL aren't funny.

[biglover]

Well, there is always Bill Moyers Journal which appears on PBS at 8PM on Friday nights, The best hour in TV so you do have options.