Apr 2004 - Issue 4

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The Lies of George W. Bush

The Lies of George W. Bush by David Corn Book Title: The Lies of George W. Bush: Mastering the Politics of Deception
Author: David Corn
Publisher: Crown Press
Edition: September 30, 2004
Genre: Politics, Current Affairs
Price: 24.05$
Pages: 320 Hardcover

It's getting a little hard to find a book about George W. Bush that doesn't have the word lie in the title. First came Joe Conanson's Big Lies [BKL Ag 03], which was followed by Al Franken's Lies and the Lying Liars That Tell Them [BKL S 15 03]. Corn's take on the topic is straightforward and chronological. No raised voices here. The longtime editor of the Nation, Corn sets out to build a serious case against Bush in which the president's own words indict him.

As Washington editor for the Nation, Corn has had his eyes and ears open for what he construes as lies from the Bush White House, and here he has assembled what many will see as an impressive body of evidence. Corn states that Bush has "mugged the truth-not merely in honest error, but deliberately, consistently and repeatedly to advance his career and his agenda." Corn carefully documents alleged falsehoods dating back to the campaign trail covering a full range of issues-from Enron to education, global warming to stem cell research. But this is no simplistic anti-Bush rant; it also faults the media for not underlining the apparent lies and the public for not caring enough.

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All American presidents have lied, but George W. Bush has relentlessly abused the truth. In this scathing indictment of the president and his inner circle, David Corn, the Washington editor of The Nation, reveals and examines the deceptions at the heart of the Bush presidency. In a stunning work of journalism, he details and substantiates the many times the Bush administration has knowingly and intentionally misled the American public to advance its own interests and agenda, including:

Brazenly mischaracterizing intelligence and resorting to deceptive arguments to whip up public support for war with Iraq
Misrepresenting the provisions and effects of the president’s supersized tax cuts
Offering misleading explanations— instead of telling the full truth — about the 9/11 attacks
Lying about connections to corporate crooks
Presenting deceptive and disingenuous claims to sell controversial policies on the environment, stem cell research, missile defense, Social Security, white-collar crime, abortion, energy, and other crucial issues
Running a truth-defying, down-and-dirty campaign during the 2000 presidential contest and recount drama

The Lies of George W. Bush is not a partisan whine—it is instead a carefully constructed, fact-based account that clearly denotes how Bush has relied on deception—from the campaign trail to the Oval Office—to win political and policy battles. With wit and style, Corn explains how Bush has managed to get away with it and explores the dangerous consequences of such presidential deceit in a perilous age.

David Corn's basic point and most poignant observation is at the book's beginning. There is nothing unique about Bush as a politician being a liar; in that respect he is in good company. However, he campaigned on a self righteous, moralistic platform asserting that he would maintain clean campaigns and straightforward, honest leadership. It was on this basis that he proclaimed he was entitled to the mantle of leadership rather than Al Gore, whose occasional bending of the truth the Republicans branded reprehensible and immoral. His constituents also assert that unbending commitment to the truth and morality is their quest, yet they relentlessly lie in their ruthless quest for power and profit as they trample the rights and exploit the majority of Americans, and endanger the safety of the planet.

Probably the best, and most telling chapter in the book deals with Bush's "White Collar Lies". He comprehensively outlines Bush's violations of SEC regulations, outright lies, and theft during his involvement in Harken Energy and substantial profits from insider trading, which foreshadowed the later Enron scandal that mirrored this scandal. Corn skillfully compares the two and, in an understated fashion, points out the glaring irony.
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