The fact that politicians exaggerate, stretch the truth, and even lie at times is not a big surprise.  It’s sad that it’s expected, but not a big surprise in a country that’s more excited and passionate about voting for the next manufactured pop star on American Idol than in actually paying attention to things that matter.

That being said, the dishonesty coming from the Republican party, particularly since the rise of the intellectually dishonest Tea Party in 2010, goes way beyond pathological.

Yes, I am saying it.  The GOP, their spokespeople, and their nominee Mitt Romney are pathological liars.

Eugene Robinson said as much in a recent Washington Post editorial:

There are those who tell the truth. There are those who distort the truth. And then there’s Mitt Romney.

Every political campaign exaggerates and dissembles. This practice may not be admirable — it’s surely one reason so many Americans are disenchanted with politics — but it’s something we’ve all come to expect. Candidates claim the right to make any boast or accusation as long as there’s a kernel of veracity in there somewhere.

Even by this lax standard, Romney too often fails. Not to put too fine a point on it, he lies. Quite a bit.

Romney’s unfamiliarity with honesty, and of a single position on an issue for a solid week, would be funny if it was a Saturday Night Live skit, but it’s not.

If you’re voting for Romney, I’m sorry, but you’re an idiot.  You’d be better off voting for Tommy Flannagan… at least you know that’s satirical.

Related articles

• A reputation Romney can’t afford to earn (maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com)
• Mitt Romney’s iPhone App Exhorts Users to Believe in a Better ‘Amercia’ (observer.com)
• Mitt Romney Lies – #2 – ‘Romney might be the first politician to flip-flop on his own lies while simultaneously lying about his flip-flops’ (thelastofthemillenniums.wordpress.com)