Today's news is the story of three American liars. Let's start at the top:
New York Post:
The State Department admitted Thursday that the United States handed over $400 million in cash to Iran only after Tehran released four American hostages — two weeks after President Obama insisted the payment was not a “ransom.”
State Department spokesman John Kirby was asked at a press briefing: “In basic English, you’re saying you wouldn’t give them $400 million in cash until the prisoners were released, correct?”Is there anything about which Obama won't lie? He is literally the living breathing old joke about politicians: You can tell he is lying if his lips are moving.
“That’s correct,” he replied.
In an Aug. 4 press conference, Obama said the opposite.
“We do not pay ransom. We didn’t here, and we won’t in the future,” the president told reporters, speaking of the January payment and hostage release.
Families “know we have a policy that we don’t pay ransom. And the notion that we would somehow start now, in this high-profile way, and announce it to the world, even as we’re looking in the faces of other hostage families whose loved ones are being held hostage, and saying to them we don’t pay ransom, defies logic,” Obama added at the time.
Unfortunately, he has set a bad example for American athletes:
CNN:
We finally have the true story of what happened with U.S. Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte:
The statement says that the incident, as the [United States Olympic Committee understands] it, happened at a gas station.
The four stopped to use a restroom where one of them committed an act of vandalism.
"An argument ensued between the athletes and two armed gas station security staff, who displayed their weapons, ordered the athletes from their vehicle and demanded the athletes provide a monetary payment," the statement said. "Once the security officials received money from the athletes, the athletes were allowed to leave."The whole "act of vandalism" wasn't important enough to include in your story, Lochte?
Finally, no story about liars would be complete without Donald Trump:
Politico:
Three and a half months after sealing the Republican nomination, Donald Trump pivoted to contest the general election on Thursday night, expressing regret for his past failures to “choose the right words” and delivering one of the most comprehensive, on-message rationales for his candidacy to date.
Speaking from prepared remarks on the heels of another staffing shakeup, Trump positioned himself as the champion of voiceless Americans against a corrupt and incompetent elite and the leader of an inclusive movement who repeatedly condemned “bigotry.”
...Early in his remarks, the New York businessman nodded at the months he has squandered, acknowledging that his own mouth had hindered his candidacy. “Sometimes in the heat of debate and speaking on a multitude of issues you don’t choose the right words or you say the wrong thing. I have done that,” Trump said to laughter and cheers from his supporters.When I was a child, I got in trouble with my mother frequently. But afterwards, I would go up to my mother and say, "I'm sorry."
“And believe it or not I regret it. And I do regret it, particularly where it may have caused personal pain. Too much is at stake is for us to be consumed by these issues, but one thing I can promise you is this. I will always tell you the truth,” said Trump, who did not specify which words he regrets saying.
She would reply, "For what?" If my answer didn't match what she thought my transgressions were, there would be continued shouting from her. Believe me, nobody wanted my mother shouting at them. My 5'2" mother could put Pavarotti to shame with her decibel levels.
The lesson: You never get away with a blanket apology. You better come prepared to list your crimes in full detail. An apology is like a confession: There can be no forgiveness for an unnamed sin.
In the case of Trump, his apology was insincere at best. More likely, someone put him up to it, and he lied his way through it.
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