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You are here: Home / Past Elections / Election 2008 / We’ll Stop Calling Her a Liar When She Stops Lying

We’ll Stop Calling Her a Liar When She Stops Lying

by John Cole|  September 11, 20083:19 pm| 51 Comments

This post is in: Election 2008, Lies, Damned Lies, and Sarah Palin, Did You Know John McCain Was A POW?

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Reihan Salam, co-author of “Grand New Party” asks if people will please stop calling Palin a liar:

So will we stop hearing that Palin “lied” about the Bridge to Nowhere? I’m guessing we won’t.

Daniel Larison brutally puts the brakes on that nonsense:

Well, Reihan, we will keep hearing about it because she has been lying.

You really have to read the whole thing. Trust me, you will be smiling at the end.

BTW- If Reihan’s hackery regarding Palin is any indication as to what is in his book, I think we can rather safely conclude that the Grand New Party is neither grand nor new, but instead rather much like the old one.

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Reader Interactions

51Comments

  1. 1.

    cleek

    September 11, 2008 at 3:26 pm

    It must be very strange to be Sarah Palin. A woman of extraordinary vision and brilliance approaching to genius, she can’t get anyone to notice. She is like a great painter or musician who is ahead of her time, and who unveils one masterpiece after another to a reception that, when not bored, is hostile.

  2. 2.

    Barbar

    September 11, 2008 at 3:28 pm

    Reihan Salam is a graduate of Harvard College and Stuyvesant High School.

    This is probably just too confusing for him to understand.

  3. 3.

    Stuck in the Fun House

    September 11, 2008 at 3:28 pm

    There not really lies, or damn lies, they are statistics. Republican Statistics.

  4. 4.

    hadenuf

    September 11, 2008 at 3:28 pm

    Meet the new boss, same as the old boss….

  5. 5.

    Foxhunter

    September 11, 2008 at 3:32 pm

    Totally not related to Salam, but this is just too funny not to pass on. If this were Barack, we’d be hearing about it in 10…9…8….7…

    John McCain Likes Big Boats and Crooks

  6. 6.

    Funkhauser

    September 11, 2008 at 3:33 pm

    Also, can we stop calling Reihan and Ross “party intellectuals?” Trying to put lipstick on a pig – sexism alert! – does not equal intellectual thought.

  7. 7.

    r€nato

    September 11, 2008 at 3:36 pm

    THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS SEXISM! IF YOU ASK PALIN HARD KWESCHINS, YOU WILL MAKE HER CRY! I DEMAND AN APOLOGY!

  8. 8.

    Dreggas

    September 11, 2008 at 3:36 pm

    If it weren’t for the fact that Henry Rollins, unless I am mistaken, is a flaming Lib the McCain campaign should just change their music selection to LIAR

  9. 9.

    EdTheRed

    September 11, 2008 at 3:37 pm

    Heh heh…pwn3d.

  10. 10.

    r€nato

    September 11, 2008 at 3:38 pm

    Larison used about a thousand words or more to explain something which somebody who is not drunk on the GOP Kool-Aid could have understood intuitively with less than 50 words.

    The Kool-Aid is strong with the McCain dead-enders.

  11. 11.

    Dreggas

    September 11, 2008 at 3:50 pm

    A friend of mine here at work just figured it out. McCain can get away with lying because John McCain spent five and a half years without being able to check his facts…as a POW.

  12. 12.

    Paul L.

    September 11, 2008 at 3:54 pm

    the GOP Kool-Aid

    You did know that Jim Jones was a progressive?
    As for Lying.
    “Only Ones” Factoid

    From an Obama interview with the Chicago Sun-Times on April 25, 2008:

    New York has seen a huge drop in crime over the last decade, more than even other cities, and part of it is they’ve got more cops than anybody else per capita.

    In actuality:

    NYC has a population of 8,165,001 and a police force of 37,838 giving it a ratio of 1 officer/216 people.

    Chicago has a population of 2,873,790 and a police force of 13,700 for a ratio of 1:210

    Chicago has a murder rate 2.5x that of NYC and climbing.

    Saddleback Bloopers

    Obama: … And by the way, I’ve now inserted this into the Democratic Party platform, is how do we reduce the number of abortions? The fact is that although we have had a president who is opposed to abortion over the last eight years, abortions have not gone down and that is something we have to address.
    …

    Guttmacher Institute: In 2005, 1.21 million abortions were performed, down from 1.31 million abortions in 2000.

    BTW, The democrats took the “and rare” from the Democratic Party platform plank “Keeping abortion safe, legal and rare”.

  13. 13.

    dj spellchecka

    September 11, 2008 at 3:55 pm

    jeez…when even the american conservative is calling bullshit….it’s deep…………

    didn’t lying used to have consequences???

    wondering
    rusty

  14. 14.

    r€nato

    September 11, 2008 at 3:58 pm

    Palin is still lying, Paul L, no matter how much chaff you throw up in the air she is lying and so are her enablers like John McCain and the McCain dead-enders in the right-wing wankosphere.

  15. 15.

    John Cole

    September 11, 2008 at 4:08 pm

    jeez…when even the american conservative is calling bullshit….it’s deep…………

    The American Conservative in general and Larison in particular have a great deal of credibility, in my opinion. They always call bullshit when they see it.

    And even better, Larison calls bullshit when he sees it from the Obama camp, which is something I need, as I get caught up in things.

  16. 16.

    gypsy howell

    September 11, 2008 at 4:08 pm

    I’m beginning to think that her ability to tell a bald-faced lie, over and over and over again in the face of irrefutable evidence to the contrary, is the EXACT reason they picked her for the ticket.

    Name one other potential Veep candidate who could flat-out lie with such incredible, stupendous impunity, and with barely a trace of a tell. Lieberman? Whiiiiiiines too much. Romney? Gets glassy eyed, deer-in-the-headlights look. Pawlenty? Would buckle & cry under the strain.

    No, they needed to find a pathological, professional-level liar. Someone who could really bring their A-Game to lying. And they did.

  17. 17.

    Cris

    September 11, 2008 at 4:10 pm

    Paul L says:
    Tu quoque!

    Also, Hitler was a vegetarian.

  18. 18.

    J.W. Hamner

    September 11, 2008 at 4:12 pm

    Honestly, I find Reihan’s and Douthat’s decent into Palin booster hackery to be the most disappointing thing about this race. I was looking forward to them giving an honest appraisal of the election, but apparently the fact that they just wrote a book means intellectual honesty is for chumps.

    Sad.

    Bill Kristol better watch his back… there’s apparently a bunch of hacks who want his crown.

  19. 19.

    Grand Moff Texan

    September 11, 2008 at 4:20 pm

    Chicago has a population of 2,873,790 and a police force of 13,700

    Uh, that’s their total workforce, not the number of officers available on patrol.

    I love watching rightards “factcheck” Obama. They’re so cute when they try to think.
    .

  20. 20.

    t jasper parnell

    September 11, 2008 at 4:20 pm

    Can we call McCain a liar now too? Please. At “least 16” of his “former staffers”

    went to work for clients

    as lobbyists

    whose issues the staffers dealt with in the Senate. … Still, during McCain’s nearly 25 years in Congress, the revolving door has remained open. As his aides have moved downtown from Capitol Hill, they’ve drawn from their experience on the senator’s personal staff or on his key committees: Armed Services, Commerce and Indian Affairs.

  21. 21.

    amorphous

    September 11, 2008 at 4:23 pm

    Hopefully she’s also lying about saying war with Russia may be necessary… but probably not. War is so romantic and great! It produces more POW future Preznits!

  22. 22.

    t jasper parnell

    September 11, 2008 at 4:24 pm

    Can we call McCain a liar now too? Please. At “least 16” of his “former staffers”

    went to work for clients

    as lobbyists

    whose issues the staffers dealt with in the Senate. … Still, during McCain’s nearly 25 years in Congress, the revolving door has remained open. As his aides have moved downtown from Capitol Hill, they’ve drawn from their experience on the senator’s personal staff or on his key committees: Armed Services, Commerce and Indian Affairs.

  23. 23.

    Grand Moff Texan

    September 11, 2008 at 4:25 pm

    Paul L says:
    Tu quoque!

    Actually, Paul L didn’t even use that fallacy, he just proved he can do a quick internet search and come up with the wrong numbers.

    Chicago does not have 13,700 police on the beat, they have 13,700 employees.

    Their 2000 budget shows only 1,800 squad cars, for instance …
    .

  24. 24.

    t jasper parnell

    September 11, 2008 at 4:25 pm

    I blame John McCain for the double post.

  25. 25.

    4tehlulz

    September 11, 2008 at 4:26 pm

    Palin talks war with Russia

    BTW, you know its serious when TPM hits CRUISE CONTROL

    Time for someone to dust off “Daisy”

  26. 26.

    Laura W

    September 11, 2008 at 4:27 pm

    Oh yeah.
    Something to live till Saturday for!
    Finally.

  27. 27.

    4tehlulz

    September 11, 2008 at 4:29 pm

    Their 2000 budget shows only 1,800 squad cars, for instance

    Yes, but each squad car holds six officers, with the remaining for paperwork.

  28. 28.

    handy

    September 11, 2008 at 4:29 pm

    Shorter Paul L’s brain: Nooooo! Don’t look there! Here, gaze into the light. Shiiiiiiny object, shiiiiiny object…

  29. 29.

    Laura W

    September 11, 2008 at 4:31 pm

    What is my freakin’ problem with links?
    (rhetorical)

  30. 30.

    4tehlulz

    September 11, 2008 at 4:32 pm

    First excerpts from Charlie Gibson’s interview.

  31. 31.

    Richard Bottoms

    September 11, 2008 at 4:35 pm

    This is the end for Palin:

    Palin was also one of just three governors in the country to issue a proclamation in support of “Jurors’ Rights” day, an event sponsored by the Fully Informed Jury Association, which encourages the doctrine of jury nullification. Nullification is an idea abhorred by tough-on-crime conservatives.

    FIJA

    The Fully Informed Jury Association (FIJA) is one of those groups that provides a big tent for weird politics. If you support the idea that judges must tell jurors they have the right to acquit people even when the evidence clearly indicates they have broken the law, FIJA is the place for you. This concept has attracted support from across the political spectrum ranging from those who would legalize marijuana to militia leaders.

    But while FIJA leaders try to walk the fine line inherent in holding together a coalitions around a single issue, they seem to routinely stumble into the far right. Indiana militia leader Joe Holland blanketed Ravalli County with a mailing urging people to understand their “jury rights” after he was charged with threatening public officals in Montana. FIJA literature was disseminated broadly in Mississippi surrounding the trial of Byron De La Beckwith for the murder of civil rights leader Medgar Evers.

    Racism and anti-Semetism also seem to pose a recurrent problem for FIJA. The “Grand Daddy” of FIJA is anti-Semite Red Beckman. It was Red who inspired the current leaders of FIJA and acquainted them with the concept of the fully informed jury. The Montana FIJA coordinator, Kamala Webb, was asked to resign after it became public that she was distributing material written by Colorado racist activist and anti_semite, Pete Peters, at the Montana legislature. Webb is also a militia activist.

    Most recently, Dr. Nancy Lord resigned from FIJA in part she says, because of the anti-Semetic writings of Red Beckman. Lord’s resignation has stimulated much debate within the organization about Beckman’s role in FIJA and how the organization should handle FIJA activists who possess racist and/or anti-Semetic views.
    The debate about this topic opens a Pandora’s Box for FIJA. FIJA’s activist list in Montana is permeated with figures from the far right. If FIJA adopts a strong stance condemning racism and anti-Semetism and truly discourages participation of individuals with ties to the racist movement, they will lose a significant number of motivated supporters.

    Thank you Montana Human Rights Network

    Look into this and everything you can about the FIJA groups and their connections to the militia movement.

    I knew as soon as I heard about her affiliation with the Alaska Independence Party that the militia stuff would be what bit her in the rear.

  32. 32.

    Peter Johnson

    September 11, 2008 at 4:36 pm

    Reihan Salam is a graduate of Harvard College and Stuyvesant High School.

    I could say the same of Matt Damon, who comes off as far more confused.

    There’s no lie here, just a nuanced issue. Palin was for the bridge but then came to her sense and killed it, which save taxpayers about $25 million. Call it a conversion on the Road to Damascus, call it what you will. But she came out on the right side of the issue. Period. And no amount of lies from the Olbermann-Damon-Soros axis can change the facts.

  33. 33.

    Grand Moff Texan

    September 11, 2008 at 4:37 pm

    Yes, but each squad car holds six officers, with the remaining for paperwork.

    SEE?!?!? OBAMA WAS LYING !!!!!!!!!!!!1

    Or something.

    Relevance to Palin lying about her record … ? It remains a mystery.
    .

  34. 34.

    BFR

    September 11, 2008 at 4:45 pm

    Ok, so what’s this going to be – WWV or WWVI – I can’t remember what we’re supposedly up to:

    The Governor advocated the accession of Georgia and Ukraine into NATO.

    When asked by Gibson if under the NATO treaty, the U.S. would have to go to war if Russia again invaded Georgia, Palin responded: “Perhaps so. I mean, that is the agreement when you are a NATO ally, is if another country is attacked, you’re going to be expected to be called upon and help.

    From the ABC interview.

  35. 35.

    BP in MN

    September 11, 2008 at 4:48 pm

    Peter Johnson-

    Palin was only against it when the Alaska government would have footed the bill. She was all for it as long at the federal government was willing to pony up. And she had no problem building the road to the bridge site, the money for which could not be repurposed. That’s not coming around to the right side eventually, that’s just consistent pork-seeking.

  36. 36.

    handy

    September 11, 2008 at 5:05 pm

    Call it a conversion on the Road to Damascus, call it what you will. But she came out on the right side of the issue. Period. And no amount of lies from the Olbermann-Damon-Soros axis can change the facts.

    If that were all that was at stake in this whole narrative (that she somehow came out on the “right side”), then your point about the “facts” would be worth something and we could have a real conversation about thos nuances. But that’s not all that’s at stake, and either you know that so you’re wilfully obtuse, or you’re just plain ignorant.

  37. 37.

    slip

    September 11, 2008 at 5:30 pm

    Palin was only against it when the Alaska government would have footed the bill. She was all for it as long at the federal government was willing to pony up

    Even this is wrong. Congress said “no thanks” to the bridge in the Fall of 2005, one whole year before Palin was elected Governor. As Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Sen. Ted Stevens worked out a compromise whereby Alaska would still receive the funds earmarked for the bridge, which they could use in any fashion they wished, on a bridge, or whatever. In the campaign for Governor, one year after Congress had said “no thanks”, Palin was still in favor of building the bridge. That is her lie. She was in no position to say “no thanks” to the federal government, as the federal government HAD ALREADY said “no thanks” a year earlier.

  38. 38.

    w vincentz

    September 11, 2008 at 5:41 pm

    Didjaknow there are wolves in Russia?
    I don’t know if they can be hunted from aircraft.
    I’ll consult with my 7/8th one, a female (will not use the common jargon to define her as it’s “sexist”).
    She’s been a bit out of sorts lately, what with walkin’ around on all but her front left leg, and she seems to have some issues with me recently cause I put some nice revlon lipstick on her. I’ll get back with the rest of the story when we become “friends” again.
    As far as Georgia is concerned, if’n those Russkies try to take it, I’m with Sarah on that one. I’ll be by her side on the outskirts of Atlanta with my faithful (though viscious) canine friend by my side.
    Come here, NOW, Nukie, my faithful canine friend. Time for your nightly lipstick. you’ll look better, but you’ll still be a ….

  39. 39.

    Blue Raven

    September 11, 2008 at 5:45 pm

    The commenter at AmCon arguing the difference between “dishonest” and “liar” is being rather Clintonian. That’s a piquant varietal of irony he’s pouring there.

  40. 40.

    Peter Johnson

    September 11, 2008 at 5:56 pm

    Didjaknow there are wolves in Russia?
    I don’t know if they can be hunted from aircraft.

    I seriously doubt that. Unless you’re including helicopters.

  41. 41.

    Stuck in the Fun House

    September 11, 2008 at 6:01 pm

    There’s no lie here, just a nuanced issue

    Today’s installment of wingnut logic.

  42. 42.

    rawshark

    September 11, 2008 at 6:01 pm

    Thanks for linking to AMCON john, great blogs.

    From this post I get a whole new perspective on what Obama was getting at when he said ‘lipstick on a pig’.

    McCain is the pig, Palin is the lipstick. She dresses up McCain but it’s still McCain anyway you slice it.

  43. 43.

    t jasper parnell

    September 11, 2008 at 6:03 pm

    I seriously doubt that. Unless you’re including helicopters.

    Excellent point, helicopters and gyrocopters are air craft they are flying machines. The difference is key.

  44. 44.

    t jasper parnell

    September 11, 2008 at 6:04 pm

    are not aircraft, I meant.

  45. 45.

    w vincentz

    September 11, 2008 at 6:13 pm

    I’d include hot air balloons as aircraft as well, but heck, what do I know about air or crafting? (see image on right>)

    Now, to a different topic…seems I heard these words today by someone that thinks he should lead this once great country, “Grasped the gravity (no aeronautical snark intended) of the moment, accepted resposibility (consequenses) for their actions, and decided to FIGHT back.”
    Sitting Bull could not have possibly said it better. Look how it turned out for Gen George Armstrong Custer.
    No POW’s taken, no Gitmo, no parades.

  46. 46.

    Twinkletoes the Starry-Eyed Rastafarian Fairy

    September 11, 2008 at 6:16 pm

    All great leaders have had a little bit of crazy in ’em. Look it up. Obama’s too sane (i.e. wimpy) to take the kind of bold action America needs during these troubled times.

    Besides, she’s crazy and she’s hot. Hot, crazy chick! Hot, crazy chick with power! I mean, come ON! ! !

  47. 47.

    Pelikan

    September 11, 2008 at 6:16 pm

    Wow, are we drinking already?

  48. 48.

    Delia

    September 11, 2008 at 6:27 pm

    And no amount of lies from the Olbermann-Damon-Soros axis can change the facts.

    Ooooh. I can haz konsperacy thery?

    Seriously, this is a good one. But you really need to flesh it out a little. See if you can make something up where you have them all in the same room at the same time plotting to take over the universe or something.

  49. 49.

    t jasper parnell

    September 11, 2008 at 6:40 pm

    Seriously, this is a good one. But you really need to flesh it out a little. See if you can make something up where you have them all in the same room at the same time plotting to take over the universe or something.

    Just like a liberal, the fact they haven’t been in the same room is central to who-ever-it-was-that-made-the-claim-about-the-axis-of-three-unrelated-people’s* point. Conspirators only need to breath** together, and, I suppose, you’re going to argue they breath asynchronously?

    *I’d check but I am afraid the site will crash, which it never did when Cole was a mindless follower of the George Bush but now, that Cole decides he hates America the site crashes all the time, coincidence or conspiracy?
    *con·spire (kn-spr)
    from the Middle English conspiren, from Old French, from Latin cnsprre : com-, com- + sprre, to breathe.

  50. 50.

    Chuck

    September 11, 2008 at 7:37 pm

    This story has always reminded me of the time I was on Who Wants to be a Millionaire, and I didn’t put the 4 countries in order fast enough, so I didn’t get to go up and answer the questions with Regis. And I was all like, “Thanks but no thanks for that million dollars, Regis! If I’m going to be a millionaire, I’m going to work for it, like a real American!*” And then when I flew home, the Chamber of Commerce gave me some kind of trophy or something because I totally stood up to Regis and his anti-American pork barrel game showitics.

    Regis probably didn’t hear me, since I was already on the plane by the time I stopped crying and told him “Thanks but no thanks!” But I did totally tell him that. WHO ARE YOU CALLING A LIAR!?!?!?!

    * when marrying an heiress isn’t an option

  51. 51.

    Notorious P.A.T.

    September 11, 2008 at 8:18 pm

    She was in no position to say “no thanks” to the federal government, as the federal government HAD ALREADY said “no thanks” a year earlier.

    She’s not campaigning as someone who is against bridge; she is trying to paint herself as someone who is against earmarks. And thought the bridge died, the earmark lived, and she eagerly and happily accepted it.

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