Jud’s Rant embedded in FSP and the comments which follow afterwards, are relevant on many layers to today’s news stream. Think123‘s comment brings up the interesting thought, that lying has NO place in government. Reading his comments, provokes quite the noble aspiration. Should citizens remove all lying, from government period?

A lot of evidence today, supports him. Just got done watching Tony Snow wonder aloud what was wrong with Rove just meeting Congressman and Senators off the record. No one in the news media brought it up, (I believe Helen Thomas has not been reinstated to her prime seat yet), but the answer is that Rove lies. He has lied before, even to a grand jury about his recollection over Valerie Plame, and ONLY the guaranteed threat of imprisonment caused him to flip-flop and tell the truth.

But, as my son (who thinks he is the new Tom Cruise) is prone to tell me, what if we can’t handle the truth?

I can think of a couple of instances. “There was absolutely no deliberate attempt to violate Soviet airspace and never has been.” Dwight D. Eisenhower. Two weeks later Gary Powers‘ U2 was shot down and he was paraded before Soviet television cameras for the world to see.

“The United States has not and will not bomb the territory of any neutral nations bordering Vietnam.” Richard Nixon. My brother in law was on the ground in Cambodia at the time, engaged in some of the fiercest firefights in that war.

Most recently: “Mr. President. There are reports that we have men on the ground in Afghanistan, just days after 09/11 who are assisting the Northern Alliance in their struggle against the Taliban. ” “We will hold Afghanistan accountable for their part of 9/11 but at this point we have no Americans involved in Afghanistan.”

Each lie was made to the cameras, and spread across the international media. Should our presidents have been truthful each and every time asked? It’s funny, but that answer depends upon YOUR motive. If you disagree with the speaker’s position, lies should penalized. If you agree, than they are a necessary tool needed to protect our national interests.

There are many of you (some who may read this blog) out there who live a lie. And some do so at the request of our National Government. Anyone working undercover is guilty, and we excuse it because of the ultimate good they bring to society. Anyone working in intelligence, who spies for a living, must live a lie, and justify it by the good they provide to their nation’s protection. More cloudy justifications are brought to light in the Donviti link to the Washington Post, describing the Security Letters and the so-called “gag order” accompanying them. There, although disagreeing with the premise, one must lie through his teeth to stay out of Guantanamo.

Therefore this issue centered around “lying in government” is dependent upon, of all things, the view of the person who is being lied to.

I remember this line uttered in Jesus Christ Superstar, when he is questioned by the Sanhedrin……..”What is truth, is truth unchanging law? We both have truths, are mine the same as yours?”

Since the fact that what may be horrific to me, may appear to be common sense to you, makes truth itself, and lying about it, a political issue.

Lying, by this definition, is about: how many people support your right to tell a falsehood, and how many people are against it.

This calls into question whether or not are all lies bad? If a presidency is saved by a lie, and it is a good presidency, is that lie even a big deal at all? If my wife turns to me and says “does this dress make me look fat…….?” …………I’ll admit, dudes, I’m saying “No.”

So why should a legislator be penalized for not directly incriminating himself, when that right is fully protected by the Constitution?

When I was a young professional, I used to think it was smart to lie, spin, distort, obfuscate, to cause others to look elsewhere from where I was to move forward.

Now, a little jaded, I see some wisdom in telling the truth, even if it may hurt you personally. For if you always tell the truth, you gradually gain credibility. You may be passed over, you may not get promoted, you may even go to jail……..but in the long range your opinions will be trusted by people struggling to find truth themselves………and that, I think, is what is missing from media politics today.

On the other hand, I readily see it whenever I meet a candidate going door to door….. for one can sense a phony. But if the candidate comes across as real, even though I may disagree with what he thinks of national policy, I can still trust him to represent my family on the local common issues that we both share……………

I’m still learning, even as I write. But just a few seconds ago, a thought hit me, and after a few seconds of turning it over in my mind, I decided it fit and choose to share it. What I just realized, was that there is only one presidential candidate now, that has a track record that I can trust. He has been around awhile, has spoken on many a Sunday, has been lifted up, and he has been laid out flat………………….and that is Joe Biden.

What’s up with that?