Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
Time once again for Steve Benen's weekly fact check of the shameless shapeshifter and pathological liar, Willard "Mittens" Romney. Chronicling Mitt's Mendacity, Vol. XXVII:
Paul Krugman, who's been nearly as frustrated by Mitt Romney's habitual dishonesty as I've been, noted this week that political observers should pause to appreciate "this remarkable spectacle." Krugman added, "I really don't think there's been anything like this in American political history: a presidential campaign, with a pretty good chance of winning, that is based entirely on cynical lies about what the sitting president has said."
I agree. Mitt Romney is, at a minimum, unique.
What's especially striking, in addition to the volume and frequency of the falsehoods, is how often the dishonesty is obvious. Jonathan Bernstein has labeled this "lazy mendacity" -- untruths based on "the indifference to any fact-checking," and "the insistence on continuing to use a lie long after it's been definitively debunked."
To better understand the phenomenon, take a look at the 27th installment of my weekly series, chronicling Mitt's mendacity.
1. Romney claimed this week that President Obama was saying success "is the result of government," not "hard-working people," when Obama said, "If you've got a business, you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen."
That's as obvious a lie as Romney has told all year. It's not even close to what the president said.
2. Romney told CNBC's Larry Kudlow, in reference to last week's massacre, "There were, of course, very stringent laws which existed in Aurora, Colorado."
Actually, that's the opposite of the truth.
3. On a related note, Romney said "it was illegal" for the Aurora gunman to have his arsenal.
That's not true. The gunman in Aurora purchased his guns and ammunition legally.
4. Romney told donors this week that Ronald Reagan was so focused on the economy after taking office in 1981, he told his aides not to schedule any national security meetings in his first 100 days as president.
That's so ridiculously false it seemed to thoroughly annoy Republican media figures, including Bill Kristol and Marc Thiessen.
5. Romney told CNBC's Larry Kudlow, "I think the president made an error coming into office and deciding that the economy would take care of itself."
I don't know what planet Romney's on, but on this one, Obama came into office and immediately worked on a stimulus bill called the Recovery Act. Romney probably should have heard of it -- he's condemned it many times.
Continue reading Chronicling Mitt's Mendacity, Vol. XXVII.
Previous editions of Chronicling Mitt's Mendacity: Vol. I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII,XIII, XIV, XV, XVI, XVII, XVIII, XIX, XX, XXI, XXII, XXIII, XXIV, XXV, XXVI
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