Over the last couple of election cycles, Republicans have perfected the art of mass disinformation in order to win elections. Unlike "politics as usual" techniques from the past that relied simply on misrepresenting or mischaracterizing their opponents' positions; this new breed of dirty politics centers on outright lying about your opponent and fabricating entirely bogus claims about your opponent that are not only not true - but often completely and totally opposite of the actual facts.

The lying liar John McCain has fully jumped on board with fabricating complete and total bogus lies that he knows are lies in order to win the election. At almost every opportunity, over-and-over again, liar John McCain intentionally repeats lies about Barack Obama's policies and positions. What the lying McCain campaign has discovered is that you can make up lies about your opponent and the general American public - including the majority of those that vote - are simply too lazy, apathetic, and ignorant to discover you are just making up a bunch of lies. Consider the following lies John McCain has made up about Barack Obama and repeatedly stated both in his television ads and on the campaign trail:

MCCAIN OUTRIGHT LIE: 23 small business owners would pay higher taxes under Obama.
                     TRUTH: Fewer than 600,000 small business owners would pay higher taxes under Obama, and the vast majority of American business owners would actually receive a tax cut under Obama.

MCCAIN OUTRIGHT LIE: Obama says he'll raise taxes on electricity.
                     TRUTH: Obama has never said he will raise taxes on electricity and has never proposed raising taxes on electricty.

MCCAIN OUTRIGHT LIE: Barack Obama, alone, is responsible for keeping gas prices high all by himself.
                     TRUTH: (do I really need to explain why this is a lie?)

MCCAIN OUTRIGHT LIE: Obama voted against funding our troops.
                     TRUTH: On 10 votes in 5 seperate measures, Barack Obama voted in favor of funding our troops every single time.

MCCAIN OUTRIGHT LIE: John McCain supports renewable energy.
                    TRUTH: John McCain's energy plan consists entirely of tax give-a-ways to big oil companies and drilling for more oil, and includes NOTHING supporting renewable energy. 


Republicans have decided that the only way they can win elections is by frightening Americans into voting for them by lying about Demcrats and their positions. Republicans have decided they need to lie in order to make Americans believe Democrats do not support our troops, will raise their taxes, and will not protect them from terrorists. That is the only way a Republican can win an election.

John McCain - A worthless liar just like George Bush and Dick Cheney.

Here's a few more;
 Signing of the GI Bill: Now enthusiastically for it... after it passed. Previously attacked the Webb Bill. Didn't even bother to vote on it.
 http://bravenewfilms.org/...

Campaign reform: On political reform, McCain last January opposed a grassroots lobbying bill he once supported.  In 2006, the "New York Sun" reported that his presidential ambitions led McCain to reverse his support of a campaign financial bill called McCain/Feingold.
http://www.nysun.com/...

Alien Minors Act/Immigration: Last October he said he would vote against the development, relief and education for Alien Miners Act that he co-sponsored, and then said he would vote against an immigration bill that he introduced.
http://www.youtube.com/...

Gay Marriage: In 2006, he said on "HARDBALL," quote, I think that gay marriage should be allowed.  Then after the commercial break he added, I do not believe that gay marriages should be legal.   
http://www.youtube.com/...

Abortion: On abortion, 1999, publicly supporting Roe v. Wade, privately opposing it in a letter to the National Right to Life Committee.  In the 2000 debates, he would change the GOP platform to permit exceptions for rape, incest, the life of the mother.  May 2007, "flipped", ABCNews.com reported.
http://abcnews.go.com/...

Nuclear Waste: No Storing Nuclear waste at Yucca mountain earlier..now flipped
http://www.lasvegassun.com/...

Negotiating with Kim Jong-Il: Negotiating with Kim Jong-Il not acceptable until President Bush did it last week.
http://bondibox.newsvine.com/...

Negotiating with Cuba/Castro: With Fidel Castro acceptable in 2000, not 2008.
http://vids.myspace.com/...

Negotiating with Hamas/Terrorists: ...with terrorists appropriate when Colin Powell went to Syria and in 2006 when McCain said sooner or later we‘ll talk to Hamas, but not appropriate now re: Obama's willingness to use diplomacy.   
http://bondibox.newsvine.com/...

Pakistan: Unilateral action against suspected terrorists in Pakistan; "Confused leadership" when Obama suggested it, not when Bush did it.
http://www.crooksandliars.com/...
 
Warrantless Wire-taps: Six months ago, presidents had to obey the law, not anymore.
http://www.nytimes.com/...

Torture: Torture detainees, no way, except for the CIA.  Hold them indefinitely, wrong in 2003, the right move in 2008.
http://www.youtube.com/...

Iraq War: The Iraq war, the right course 2004, stay the course 2005. Today, McCain has always been a Rumsfeld critic.                           
http://thinkprogress.org/...

Tax Cuts: In 2001, he could not in good conscious support them.  Now he can.
http://www.youtube.com/...

Estate Tax: 2006, "I agree with President Roosevelt who created it".  In 2008, "most unfair".
http://www.crooksandliars.com/...

Privatizing Social Security: This month not for privatizing Social Security, never has been.  In 2004, he "didn‘t see how benefits will last without it".
http://www.youtube.com/...

Balanced Budget: In February, promised a balanced budget in four years by April, make that eight years.
http://www.perrspectives.com/...

Windfall Profits Tax: In May, glad to look at the windfall profits tax.  By June, that was Jimmy Carter's big idea.
http://flipfloptracker.blogspot.com/...

Offshore Drilling: In 2000, no new off shore drilling.  Last month, it would take years to develop.  This month, very helpful in the short term.   
http://thinkprogress.org/...

Coyotes..Bush Big Time Fund Raisers: The Bush fund-raisers McCain called coyotes breaking the law in 2000.  By 2006, they were co-chairing McCain fund-raisers.
http://abcnews.go.com/...

"Agents of Intolerance": Buddy Jerry Falwell...an "agent of intolerance in 2000". Kissed Falwell's ass in 2007... The Reverend Hagee and Parsley in, then out this year alone.
http://www.youtube.com/...

Martin Luther King Holiday: In 1983, opposed Martin Luther King Day.  Today, all for it.
http://www.boston.com/...

Confederate Flag: In 2000, defended South Carolina's confederate flag as a symbol of heritage.  Two years later, McCain calling it, quote, an act of political cowardice not to say the flag should come down.  Quote, "everybody said, look out.  You can't win in South Carolina if you say that."
http://www.youtube.com/...

Evolution in Public Schools: In 2005, McCain said alternatives to evolution should be taught in school.  "Evolving" the opposite position he had taken in 2000.
http://thinkprogress.org/...

Restoring the Everglades: On June 5, John McCain traveled to the Everglades to win over Floridians and environmentally-minded voters. There he proclaimed, "I am in favor of doing whatever’s necessary to save the Everglades." Sadly, as ThinkProgress documented, McCain not only opposed $2 billion in funding for the restoration of the Everglades national park, he backed President Bush’s veto of the legislation in 2007. "I believe," he said, "that we should be passing a bill that will authorize legitimate, needed projects without sacrificing fiscal responsibility."
http://www.crooksandliars.com/...

Swiftboating: McCain's sudden embrace of Swiftboating --- which today is synonymous with a concerted effort to lie about an opponent's history --- is all the more deplorable because he has hired retired Col. George "Bud" Day, a proud member of the group that Swiftboated Kerry --- and someone McCain once described as having "tunnel vision" --- to lead what McCain is calling his "Truth Squad."
http://digg.com/...

GITMO/Habeus Corpus:Despite John McCain's outrage last week that the Supreme Court ordered Gitmo detainees know why they were being held, or released -- Political Base has stumbled upon a McCain appearance on Meet the Press in 2005 where he argued they deserved trials, going so far as to say "if it means releasing some of them, you'll have to release them." Shameless.
http://www.politicalbase.com/...

Divestment from South Africa: During his June 2 speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), John McCain called for the international community to target Iran for the kind of worldwide sanctions regime applied to apartheid-era South Africa. Unfortunately, McCain’s lobbyist-advisers Charlie Black and Rick Davis each represented firms doing business with Tehran. Even more unfortunate, John McCain was frequently not among those offering "moral clarity and conviction" in backing "a divestment campaign against South Africa, helping to rid that nation of the evil of apartheid."
http://thinkprogress.org/...

Opposing Hurricane Katrina Investigations: During a June 4th town hall meeting in Baton Rouge, John McCain answered a reporter’s question regarding Hurricane Katrina and the failure of the New Orleans levees by announcing:

"I’ve supported every investigation and ways of finding out what caused the tragedy. I’ve been here to New Orleans. I’ve met with people on the ground."

As it turns out, not so much. McCain’s revisionist history neglects to mention that in 2005 and 2006 he twice voted against a commission to study the government’s response to Katrina. He also opposed three separate emergency funding measures providing relief to Katrina victims, including the extension of five months of Medicaid benefits. And as ThinkProgress pointed out, "until traveling there one month ago, McCain had made just one public tour of New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina touched down in August 2005."
http://thinkprogress.org/...

McCain On His Economic Abilities: "I have not. I have not. Actually, I have not." "I said that I am stronger on national security issues because of all the time I spent in the military and others. I am very strong on the economy. I understand it. I have a lot more experience than my opponent."

-- Sen. John McCain, in an interview on ABC News, when asked why he "admitted that you're not exactly an expert when it comes to the economy."

However, NBC News compiles past McCain quotes in which he said "The issue of economics is not something I've understood as well as I should" or "I'm going to be honest: I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues. I still need to be educated."
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/...

On Criticizing Obama While "Overseas": Traveling in Colombia, he told reporters that he wouldn't criticize Obama while he was overseas, but on the plane, he blasted Obama’s opposition to the proposed Colombia free trade...
http://blogs.abcnews.com/...

UPDATES from KOSsacks:

Temperment and Temper: "My temper has often been both a matter of public speculation and personal concern," he wrote in a 2002 memoir. "I have a temper, to state the obvious, which I have tried to control with varying degrees of success because it does not always serve my interest or the public's."  Not true and not under control, according to many of those on the "W"rong side of McCain's famous temper.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...

Drilling For Oil and Automobile Efficiency: "Last week, Senator McCain reversed himself and said we need to drill more. Today, he has reversed years of failing to support more efficient cars, new energy technologies and green jobs.
http://www.speaker.gov/...

Offshore Drilling: Two weeks ago, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) offered "a bit of a capitulation to the oil companies" by announcing that he would end the federal ban on offshore oil drilling. Not only is McCain’s move a break with environmental activist, but it is also "a reversal of the position he took in his 2000 presidential campaign.
http://thinkprogress.org/...

Payroll Taxes: "When he was asked in 2005 whether he could see himself lifting the cap on the payroll tax, (McCain) said, 'I could.' Two years later, during a May 13, 2007, appearance on "Meet the Press," Russert asked McCain if he was still open to lifting the Social Security tax cap as part of a compromise. "Am I opposed to tax increases?" said McCain. "Yes. But we've got to sit down together and figure out what our options are, and tough decisions have to be made, Republicans and Democrats. And I know how to do that." Asked about the 2005 remark, a McCain spokesman acknowledged the tension with his current position while arguing that the Arizona senator's criticism of his Democratic rival is still valid because McCain has spoken out against higher Social Security taxes as a 2008 White House hopeful.
http://blogs.abcnews.com/...

Ethics Reform and Abramoff: On the stump, Sen. John McCain often cites his work tackling the excesses of disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff as evidence of his sturdy ethical compass. A little-known document, however, shows that McCain may have taken steps to protect his Republican colleagues from the scope of his investigation.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...

 Here is McShame lieing to fellow vet about his record ;


At a town hall meeting in Denver on Monday, John McCain was called onto the carpet, by a fellow Vietnam veteran, for his poor voting record on veterans' issues.

What was McCain's response? To ignore the man's question (twice), lie about his own record, and tacitly accuse his fellow vet of lying.




Here's a transcript of the exchange: (from The Washington Independent)
The first question from the audience came from a Vietnam veteran, who challenged McCain's record of supporting health care for veterans. It was followed by this testy exchange, during which McCain fell back on his endorsements from veteran groups:

McCain: "I don't know what bill you're referring to...and I'll be glad to have you refer to it. The reason why I have a perfect voting record from organizations like Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion and all the other veterans' service organizations is because I support them."

Audience Member: "You do not have a perfect voting record with [Disabled American Veterans] and VFW. That's where these votes are recorded. The votes were for proposals by your colleagues in the Senate to increase health-care funding for the [Veterans Administration] in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006, for troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. You voted against those proposals. I can give the numbers of those Senate votes right now."

McCain: "I thank you and I'd be glad to examine what your version of my record is. Again, I've been endorsed in every election by all of the veterans' organizations that do that. I've been supported by them and received the highest awards from all of those organizations, so I guess they don't know something you know. I thank you very much and I will continue to be proud of my support for the veterans of this country."
Has McCain never heard the old adage, "Never try to bullshit a guy who's clutching a sheaf of papers?" I think it was Mark Twain.

I really loved this part: "I'd be glad to examine what your version of my record is."

I bet he would, since the man apparently had the version that was true. From The Independent:
Disabled American Veterans gave McCain a dismal 20 percent rating, out of a possible 100 percent, during the second session of the 109th Congress, which ended in January 2007 -- their most recent rating. Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America gave McCain a grade of 'D.'

Vietnam Veterans of America does not offer a rating or grade, but they do provide a chart that compares McCain's vote to their preferred position. Since 2001, McCain voted with VVA nine times and against them 15 times. He also missed eight votes.
In the words of Maxwell Smart, "Missed it by that much!"

The McCain campaign is clearly unprepared in this area, and it could cost McCain dearly. His image as an honorable warrior is the biggest of his few remaining assets. He runs the risk of eroding that with things like this, or his hiring of a Swift Boat Veteran for his "Truth Squad." Both of these hits were self-inflicted, and McCain should make sure that, the next time one of his brothers in arms wants some answers, he is ready with some true ones.
 http://news.aol.com/political-machine/2008/07/10/mccain-lies-to-vet-about-voting-record/

 More McCain lies and deciet;
 http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/08/02/mccain-lies-about-his-support-for-mlk-jr-day-in-arizona/

With respect to fairness, I'm reasonably sure someone could make a few posts about all the times that Obama has lied...

I believe you already did:

"Unfortunately, all politicians lie. Sadly, I am not aware of a single politican who doesn't regularly lie. That is a reality the voting public has been forced to deal with since George Washington."

Or am I not allowed to speak in generalities, too?

Kind of like when people talk about McCain and you go, "But Obama does it tooooooooo!!!!!!!!!"

It is weak and unacceptable, I agree.