#597 Musings Beyond the Bunker (Thursday March 2)
Good morning,
PERCEIVED INCONSISTENCY
A very dear friend, a non-Trumpist Republican, called me to task recently for pointing out lies by politicians on the right but not on the left. When we have a friendly argument, each of us is comfortable acknowledging good points raised by the others and sometimes conceding some points or suggesting middle grounds. This is what one does in a free democracy in which people of good faith share their views calmly and logically.
WORTH ACKNOWLEDGING
Here are my friend’s comments, followed by my response (spoiler alert: we agree more than we disagree):
“Fabulous in consistency, your Musings continue to condemn bad actors on the right but not the left.
It’s interesting that George Santos was born in the same year, 1988, that Joe Biden dropped out of the Presidential election due to a plagiarism scandal. George Santos is a despicable, lying fraud. He's lied about his ethnicity, background, parents, and experience, among other things. If there was anything that could be embellished, George Santos probably did it. His deceit would be comical if it weren't so tragic. Santos should be held accountable with punitive actions for his lies.
However, if we are now going to be genuinely outraged and start punishing politicians for lying about their past, we can begin with President Joe Biden. Biden's lies do not excuse what Santos did in any way. This isn't a case of "whataboutism" or some attempted rationalization predicated on universally applying the same standards for all politicians. Yet, this doesn't change the fact that many Democrats, such as Joe Biden, have their own sordid history regarding what they told voters about their past. Let’s consider Biden.
He wasn't truthful during a recent speech in Florida about the death of his son, Beau. He stated that Beau died while fighting in Iraq. "They talk about inflation … inflation is a worldwide problem right now because of a war in Iraq and the impact on oil and what Russia's doing. ... Excuse me, the war in Ukraine," the President said. ‘I'm thinking about Iraq because that's where my son died.’ But this was not true. Biden's son passed away from brain cancer in 2015 at Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
There was also the moment when Biden falsely claimed that his first wife died in a car crash in which the driver who struck his wife's vehicle was drunk. This was also not true. Biden's first wife tragically died in a car crash with a tractor-trailer in 1972. The wreck also killed his infant daughter. Over the years, Biden claimed, on multiple occasions, that the driver involved in the crash was drunk. However, there wasn't any evidence to support this claim. Moreover, the state official who investigated the accident denied any sobriety issues caused the crash.
Biden also previously ‘Santos-d’ his law school ranking while campaigning for President. Other tall tales told by Biden include his dishonesty about his academic credentials, the number of undergraduate degrees he earned, being arrested in South Africa, being raised in a Puerto Rican community, and interaction with his son Hunter about his business dealings — among many, many more. In fact, it could be legitimately argued that Joe Biden was George Santos before George Santos was.
Then there is Elizabeth Warren. Her lies about Indian heritage are now of legend. But they never got in the way of her support among Dems for her Presidential campaign.
None of this excuses Santos or lessens his egregious deception. But the Musings’ outrage over Santos is as credible as Santos's ‘Jew-ish’ heritage. Rightfully, you criticize Santos. Wrongfully, you ignore Biden's or Warren’s (or other Dems) struggles with the truth.
George Santos deserves scrutiny and criticism for his inability to be honest with the public. But so do politicians such as Warren and Biden.
Let's hold all lying politicians accountable, not just the ones with "Rs" after their names.”
MY RESPONSE
My dear friend is right—lying (whether through uncorrected slips of the tongue, puffery, convenience, or animus) is lying. And it is rampant. Period. We should call it out and condemn it. My friend also is right that Biden has a history of such statements. Further, Ms. Warren’s capitalization on her questionable Native American heritage to help propel her career is legendary.
I have not gone out of my way to point out the lies and stretches of truth employed by any number of people on the right and the left. Most lie to some extent. And I accept that It is no excuse to say “they all do it.” It also gives a free pass to those who lie in creating a materially false narrative or who lie in the furtherance of goals with foreseeable negative consequences.
My beef with Santos and Trump is one of magnitude, consequence, and extent.
HOW SANTOS IS DIFFERENT
Santos created a persona to run for the House after his earlier unsuccessful campaign. His lies were fundamental to creating “who he was” and mislead his constituents. Warren, frankly, comes close, if with only a single known prevarication.
Biden and most other politicians use lies more regularly as an enhancement of an otherwise correct narrative. Does it really matter that Beau died in a hospital and not in a war zone? No more than Hillary’s flight through enemy fire (untrue) or Dan Rather’s enhancement of his experience as a correspondent in a war zone (also untrue). But they do so not to create a wholly false narrative of who they are. Rather, they create unnecessary accoutrements to their life and career. It’s not okay but it is rampant.
THEN THERE IS DONALD TRUMP
Trump is another animal entirely. He has based his business career and political career on lies. Whereas Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren and countless other politicians have lied to further their careers, they remain fundamentally truthful (even when we disagree with them). Trump’s lies have serious consequences. Most people, when confronted with a lie, will back down. Trump lies relentlessly and repeatedly, and never backs down or recharacterizes a mistake. Plus, most importantly, his lies threatened our democracy and encouraged his acolytes and sycophants to lie in support of his election challenges (Ted Cruz, e.g., with “Philadelphia is “clouding the vote counting in a shroud of darkness.” ). His lies have serious consequences to our democracy. His lies encouraged people to riot at the Capitol. His lies give cover to the truly despicable folks out there who perpetrate agendas of conspiracy and hate.
On Trump and Santos, my friend and I agree. Even on Biden and Warren, we can find common ground. I just think the outrage is focused on magnitude, contrition, and consequence.
Have a great day,
Glenn
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