Americans are, unfortunately, used to being lied to by people running for office.
Too often, we make excuses for them, or we just accept the lies when they are convenient, or when they are spouted by a popular celebrity.
When someone we like lies to us, we wink at each other and smile, because “our candidate” is above the picky standards we set for those others we don’t like.
And when the candidate we like is an incumbent president AND the lies are being told by one of our favorite Hollywood actors — well, heck, we’ll slather it up with a big ol’ spoon.
The problem is, the current lies that are being told on behalf of President Obama, and which are being told by popular movie actor Tom Hanks, are involving our own money.
And that is just wrong.
To lie about someone’s plans or ambitions, well, that is regrettable.
But to lie about how our tax dollars are being abused is wrong, even if it is Tom Hanks spouting the lies.
It all came up this week in the Associated Press current fact checks on the national elections.
In a current publicity film for Obama the statement is made: “With business booming, they (the auto industry) repaid their loans.”
But the AP notes: “The General Motors and Chrysler aid has not been paid back in full, and it is unlikely to be, contrary to the film’s narrator, actor Tom Hanks.
“More than $1 billion of the $12.5 billion Chrysler bailout is not expected to come back to the government. The government has recouped more than $22 billion of its nearly $50 billion GM bailout after agreeing to take stock in return for most of its investment.
“But the government’s remaining stock would have to rise massively in value for taxpayers to get all their money back.
“If the stock were sold at some recent values, taxpayers would still be out more than $10 billion.”
And to paraphrase the late Sen. Everett Dirkson: “A billion here a billion there. Sooner or later you’re talking about real money.”
Not only is it real money, but it is our money.
The incredible egotism of misrepresenting how taxpayers’ money is being abused is a lie that affects each of us and our descendents.
Even if it is presented in the dulcet tones of a Tom Hanks narration — it’s still a lie.
— Chuck Smith