The Lies of George W. Bush: Mastering the Politics of Deception

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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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. Beginning with the 2000 campaign ("I am a uniter, not a divider"), Corn examines Bush's record on many issues--the environment, health, the war on terror--all referenced to the president's words, e.g., "The bottom end of the economic ladder receives the biggest percentage [tax] cuts." Obviously, how one views the Bush presidency will color one's reaction to the conclusions drawn here, and though Corn sources much of his material within the text, it is too bad there are no notes appended. It is also unfortunate for Corn that so many books about Republican dissembling have come out lately (others include those by Molly Ivins and Eric Alterman). This is a judicious and readable offering, but the target audience may feel they've heard it all before. Still, Corn is sure to do a round of talking-head appearances, so there may be enough buzz to create demand. Ilene Cooper
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