Why Not Just Call It LYING?

Steve Benen, writing for Salon's "War Room," points out that President Bush has praised the expansion of the GI bill after he had publicly opposed it. He had to sign the bill because it passed by a veto-proof margin. Now he's praising it as if he had never opposed it. In addition to that, Benen points out, Bush praised Republican leaders who opposed the bill and even voted against it--in such a way that an unwary public (a group in which many Americans hold membership) would draw the conclusion that these leaders approved the bill. Bush also praised John McCain for his "hard work" on the bill--when John McCain also had publicly opposed the bill.

Bush had no words of praise for one of the actual Republican sponsors of the bill: Chuck Hagel.

Down is Up and Up is Down in this administration. Yes is No and No is Yes, too, I guess. (And torture is just enhanced interrogation procedures). I just think it's lying. But that's what this administration seems to do best.

In other news, the media are jumping on Wesley Clark for some comments he made about John McCain. Evidently, Clark said that flying a plane does not make one qualified to be president--but critics have taken Clark's comments out of context and are accusing Clark of attacking McCain's military career. I've read two good responses to these criticisms in the last few minutes. Here is Billings Outpost editor David Crisp on the brou-ha-ha, at his Billings Blog. And here is Steve Benen's response on Salon: "Media Mischaracterizes Clark Comments, Obama Backs Away."

Update:
Via Kevin Drum, I am reminded of earlier, truly nasty attacks on John McCain during the 2000 presidential primaries, attacks that are being echoed again among some lefties and some far-right conservatives. I remember receiving a forwarded e-mail from an uncle, in which John McCain's patriotism was questioned and in which McCain was described as a scary "Manchurian Candidate." I reacted negatively to those nasty innuendos and lies then, as I do to the resurrection of them today. Clark's comments, however, do not fall in that category.