The Lies Of Barack Obama

One of harder things to accept about democracy, and it's the reason why up until 2006 I had never voted, is lying. Politicians will lie, and there is basically nothing you can do about it. They will lie willfully about huge matters. It's important to note, while a lot of us get self-righteous about the lies of Bush, the same man that brought us the voting rights act, also brought us the Gulf of Tonkin.

I raise this because of Hillary's recent tirade against Barack Obama for a deceptive mailer which Obama sent out regarding Clinton's health care policy. Essentially, Obama's mailer raises the specter of working people being forced to pay for health care they can't afford. Clinton's plan does have some mandates, but Obama takes that grain of truth and turns it into a loaf of bread. Clinton's plan may indeed, in some cases force people to pony up, but in others it offers a batch of government subsidies to close the gap. I'm not taking Clinton's side, her "Shame on you Barack Obama" line is laughable. This from the camp that tried to turn Obama into Jesse Jackson, and from the family that brought us Sista Souljah.

My point is that they both would lie to you if they thought it would help them politically. This is not cynical, it's just true. I guess that's my problem with that mindless "Yes We Can" Will.I.Am. video. I don't buy most of the scribblings about Obama as cult-figure--except in the case of that video. It's good to be optimistic. It's good to be idealistic, even. But please stay clear on this one point: Barack Obama, as exciting as he is, as intelligent as he is, is a politician. Don't ever forget that.