Republicans used the rhyme to ridicule former president Bill Clinton when he lied about having sex with Monica Lewinski in the Oval Office. They piled on by drawing up articles of impeachment.
George Bush squeaked out a victory in the 2000 election by convincing voters that he would “bring honor and integrity to the White House.” Most people interpreted this oft repeated refrain to mean that he wouldn’t have sex in the Oval Office and also would not lie to the people.
But in the run up to the war with Iraq George Bush lied to his soldiers and to us….and he continues to lie.
• Saddam is trying to buy uranium from Niger to build nuclear bombs…..false.
• Saddam already possesses a stockpile of weapons of mass destruction….false.
• Saddam deals directly with Al Qaeda and could smuggle his bombs abroad…….false.
• Saddam poses an imminent threat both to his neighbors and to the U.S. …..false.
Bush embellished his rationale for war by frightening Americans with “imminent” danger of a nuclear holocaust and added the warning, “Don’t let this smoking gun turn into a mushroom cloud.” He even repeated Tony Blair’s assertions that Iraq could strike in 45 minutes. All this was hype to stir up war frenzy. In Britain they call this “sexing up” the evidence. And, in Britain Tony Blair is barely hanging on to his office.
Democrats, so long muffled by charges of treason and a lack of patriotism, are finally beginning to speak out. Sen. Ted Kennedy, one of 23 Senators not to vote for the war resolution, called the war a failed, flawed, bankrupt policy. “This whole war has been a fraud.” He further charged that the war was hatched on the Crawford, Texas ranch in August and in January was announced to key Republicans as “good politics.”
Kennedy further charged that excess money for the war was being siphoned off to bribe countries to send troops to Iraq. “Only about half the $4 billion a month is being used for the troops. The rest is unaccounted for,” he said. This is not too far fetched considering the $8 billion we offered Turkey to use their land as a staging area for the invasion.
Lying seems to be one of the essential tools of the Bush presidency, and it has not been limited to Iraq. Tax cuts, the environment, Social Security, stem-cell research, homeland security—on almost every issue confronting us, Bush has chosen to distort the truth.
Like Pinocchio, George W’s nose is getting longer every day.
