To the Editor

The old joke goes, “How do you know when a politician is lying? When their lips are moving.” President Obama and Mrs. Clinton have been caught in a whopper as they claimed for several weeks that an anti-Muslim “YouTube” video sparked spontaneous violent protests when four Americans died at Benghazi last Sept. 11. Now we know they knew that’s not what happened as they and other people in their administration went on talk show after talk show.

David Gregory of NBC, an ardent Obama supporter even put it this way, “They changed the narrative to put the president in the best light because that’s what presidents do when running for reelection. No malice was intended.” It was all about politics after all.

“Hope and Change” was the Obama mantra in 2008. “I want to change the way government works” and “the most transparent and open administration ever” were his headlining stump speeches. What happens to presidents when they take office? Do they mean well and then “change the narrative” later as it suits them or do they just lie to us from the beginning? Our country is so divided and the news we receive so partisan the answer might depend on what your definition of “is” is.

Where is Linus from the Peanuts cartoon when we need him? Charlie Brown yelled out, “Is there anyone who can tell me what the true meaning of Christmas is?” I feel like Charlie Brown. “Is there any politician out there who will tell us the truth?” According to the old joke there isn’t one. Linus gave Charlie Brown a pithy answer. Maybe we should remember the true meaning of Christmas to bring our country back together? We’ve tried it on our own long enough and it doesn’t work. Too bad Linus isn’t old enough to run for president in 2016. I would vote for him.

Ken Anderson

Hot Sulphur Springs