As a full time political consultant for two decades I dutifully made sense out of the word salad of scores of clients.
When the blow-dried mannequin I was working for mangled a thought I would pull the press aside and clarify his words, i.e.- put them into decipherable English. It was part of the job.
Now, of course, I told my charges to adhere to message discipline and answer an uncomfortable question with another question or just return to the script no matter what the query. So when a reporter would ask the candidate about their stance on property taxes I had the client say, “I’m glad you asked me that Bob. I’ve been very clear about my views on law and order.” Dodge, evade, spin. It’s what political gunslingers are paid for. However, you never out and out lie.
Because, one, it could come back to bite you in opposition media and, two, it can become a dangerous slope to fantasy. Seems no one told this to Biden’s press office.
On Monday, while holding forth, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said this about illegal immigration during the Biden administration, “In the meantime, he has tools that he’s used to make sure we do this. We actually deal with the immigration system in a humane way, in a way that actually deals with what we’re seeing at the border. And that’s why you’ve seen the parolee program be so successful. When it comes to illegal immigration, you’ve seen it come down by more than 90%. And that’s because of this, the actions that this president has taken.”
Jean-Pierre: "When it comes to illegal migration, you have seen it come down by more than 90%.”
— Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) May 1, 2023
There is no number anywhere that supports that claim. In fact, the numbers have increased exponentially. KJP knows that. She was just lying because she is too lazy to spin. She also knows the vast majority of the press won’t call her on it.
Conservatives pounced. Washington Free Beacon reporter Chuck Ross said, “Maybe the biggest lie from the White House podium so far this year.” Well, that’s saying a lot. “How does she still have this job?” HotAir writer Karen Townsend asked.
“This is a blatant lie from the Biden administration. This is the worst border crisis on record. They created the crisis, and now they are denying it exists,” RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel tweeted.
Townhall.com scribe Derek Hunter jibed, “She’s so dumb she may believe this. Then again, she is Ron Burgundy and that binder is her teleprompter, so…”
At least Psaki and past press secretaries went to the trouble and effort to elegantly dress up their fabrications in chic rationalizations. No more. Spin is dead. Lethargic lies are the order of the day. We’ll now be fed the thin gruel of obvious falsehood and be expected to ask for more. This is our time, our America.
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