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Summary: The Lies of George W. Bush: Mastering the Politics of Decept
Review: Corn (Washington editor, Nation magazine) chronicles to devastating effect the lies, falsehoods, and misrepresentations of President George W. Bush. And while clearly presenting those deceptions, he also shows that Bush committed them for a reason, engaging in "strategic lying" in an effort to cover up his past and pave his way to governance. The events of 9/11 gave the President license to do so, and "Bush and his colleagues could see that lying worked." From lies about his arrest and National Guard records, to environmental and energy concerns, to the war against Iraq, Corn has painstakingly unearthed a bill of particulars against the President that is as damaging as it is thorough. Here, one will find evidence that is not put forth by the mainstream press (which is still cowering in the midst of a war against terrorism). Calling the President a liar and a prevaricator who "has mugged the truth" will win Corn few friends, but given the weight and volume of the evidence presented, it is a case that cannot easily be ignored.
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Summary: Comprehensive, sobering, poignant
Review: For those of us who have devoured the recent books outlining the depradations of the Bush Administration such as those by Vidal, Ivins, Franken, and Moore you will find little revelatory here. However, David Corn is a fine journalist and serious scholar with evident professional integrity. So, what is rewarding about "The Lies of George W. Bush" is its comprehensive, well documented, and scholarly approach -- making it above reproach in terms of research and accuracy.Corn's basic point and most poignant observation is at the book's beginning. There is nothing unique about Bush as a politician being a liar; in that respect he is in good company. However, he campaigned on a self righteous, moralistic platform asserting that he would maintain clean campaigns and straightforward, honest leadership. It was on this basis that he proclaimed he was entitled to the mantle of leadership rather than Al Gore, whose occasional bending of the truth the Republicans branded reprehensible and immoral. His constituents also assert that unbending commitment to the truth and morality is their quest, yet they relentlessly lie in their ruthless quest for power and profit as they trample the rights and exploit the majority of Americans, and endanger the safety of the planet. Probably the best, and most telling chapter in the book deals with Bush's "White Collar Lies". He comprehensively outlines Bush's violations of SEC regulations, outright lies, and theft during his involvement in Harken Energy and substantial profits from insider trading, which foreshadowed the later Enron scandal that mirrored this scandal. Corn skillfully compares the two and, in an understated fashion, points out the glaring irony. Corn very effectively and eloquently outlines that George W. Bush is a well established liar, and on the basis of his widespread, pervasive, and menacing lies, and his ruthlessness in pursuit of any of his objectives that he is unfit to be the President of the United States.
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Summary: This Administration does not just lie: it kills
Review: On February 11, 2004, Bush gave a speech at the National Defense University. Here is what he said: "We're helping former Soviet states find productive employment for former [WMD] scientists. " In this passage, Bush referred to Defense Enterprise Fund (DEF), a venture capital fund financed by the US Congress with a mission to convert former Russian producers of weapons of mass destruction. But this program was closed as of December 31, 2003 (six weeks BEFORE the speech, helloooo, George), and it was closed due to rampant mismanagement. According to the Department of Defense Audit dated December 31, 2001 (plenty of time to read it before claiming credit) DEF spent half of its grant on itself, which is twenty five times the industry average. As far as DEF's investment portfolio of $30M, $20M disappeared from it under very suspicious circumstances. Defense Threat Reduction Agency ("DTRA") maintains a DEF-related webpage. This page used to state that the number of former Soviet WMD scientists converted by DEF to peaceful pursuits was 3370. But when an American reporter called DTRA, the figure was reduced to 1250, overnight. This is a 66% reduction. But the real figure is no more than 200 Russian scientists. I am a US citizen and a former employee of DEF. As soon as I complained about the fund being mismanaged, the Bush Administration did what it is really good at: blacklisted me for jobs and caused the IRS to freeze my bank account for seven months (!) asserting that "68 is greater than 72" (try to fight that!). As a result, my family suffered greatly, we lost a place to live, and had to put our stuff in storage. All we had left after pawning our belongings to buy food, that is. This is the "thanks" I got from the Bush Administration for trying to save a program that was supposed to make America safer from Russian weapons of mass destruction and for forcing the Department of Defense to conduct an Audit that proved my allegations. I am very pleased that David Corn's book is doing well: more and more Americans are learning about the mendacious and vindictive nature of the Bush Administration. I am a conservative Republican, but I will vote against Bush because he is just the greatest danger to our Republic and certainly to my family. This Administration does not just lie: it kills.
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Summary: A book of pure conjecture
Review: Every great president is misunderstood in his time. David Corn's treatise on a topic he knows so little about reminds me of the rampant unpopularity of Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War. Yet today, Lincoln is rightfully considered a great man. One day we may realize that George W. Bush has done a remarkable job during a difficult time.
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Summary: Coup d'etat
Review: At least with Kissinger you have the shifty eyed looks telling you to watch out for a Machiavellian cutpurse in action. With George II the whipped margerine style actually fooled me and the public through dumb sincerity and disingenuous mumbling of disinformation. The issue is clearcut: elected at best to bridge a polarized nation (with corrupt help from the Supremes) our valiant made in Texas proceeded to abuse state apparatus for the destruction of democratic gains, with a pack of lies well organized from the start and well dissected in this book, which is lowkey compared to Franken and other exposes, but highly effective and useful.
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Summary: With this proof, how can anyone approve Bush?
Review: I have read several books on Bush. The sources and evidence are abundant. This book is excellent. When looking at books on our current political climate, notice whether the writer is giving facts and the conclusions those facts support or merely conclusions based upon ideology or other interest. This book is factual with opinions demanded by those facts. With this proof, how can anyone approve Bush?
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Summary: Lies of George W Bush: Mastering the Politics of Deception
Review: An absolutely astonishing book. Clear-eyed, fair, well documented. This is no partisan rant. Should be required reading for all voters in the November '04 election. The chapter on Bush's cozy relationship with Enron (before it became politically unwise to have such) and his career-long rap-sheet of questionable corporate machinations had me foaming at the mouth by the end. This man has not brought "integrity and honesty back to the White House." I long for the innocent days of Hillary and her cattle futures investing. The lies that took our country into the war with Iraq are nothing new, but Corn's prose makes them read like a poem--an ugly poem about lost limbs and lost honor. And the dissection of dishonesty in the Bush 2000 campaign is instructive as we see this year's campaign heating up with the same vile leftovers. Read the book. Especially if you love George W.
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Summary: Just another "hate" Bush book
Review: The author of this book is guilty of committing a "hate" crime. Please people stop hating President Bush just because he is a fundamental Christian. He is not a liar. Politics is politics. This book is nothing but full of false accusations and a political twisting of words. Just because intelligence agents got it wrong with regards to WMD doesn't make Bush a liar. Just because Democrats critize Bush's Veitnam record doesn't make Bush a liar. I would not recommend this book at all, it is just typical journalistic leftism and anti-christian bashing. Where was this author when Clinton lied in court? Clinton was the real liar and we all know it. Elections should be based on fair assessments of both candidates and not based on hate.
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Summary: An encyclopedia of the not-so-funny Bushisms
Review: The Bushism's series did a great deal to undermind Bush's claim to any kind of common sense or articulatory grace. Unfortunately, it also unwittingly kept in its shadow for so very long the the other, more dangerous kind of "Bushism:" his flagrant and consistent track record of public deception. Corn's work is nothing if not a concise and astute omnibus of George W. Bushes incessant 30+ year marathon of political dishonesty. This book almost takes the form of a desk reference rather than the contemporary political thesis that many might expect from a book that shares the stand with the labors of Al Franken, James Carville, Molly Ivans and Michael Moore. And though these are all great authors and great "liberal" minds, this book digresses from the pack in one very important way. All of these other authors assemble a number of facts, string them together ins a specific way, intersperse their own commentary and draw the conclusion for the reader. Corn takes a very different approach. He presents facts. Then he presents more facts. And when fact piles on top of fact on top of fact, and so on, only someone in abject denial could avoid seeing the only logical conclusion for himself. I was tempted to dock a star on my rating for the fact that throughout the book (though especially near the beginning) Corn risks losing the reader by detailing all (and I do mean ALL) of the "little white lies" for which anyone except the alleged "angry democrat" would be willing to forgive him. However, I also understood, as you should when you buy this book, that this stalwart loyalty to the format is integral to its spirit. In the same way that a historian has a sacred responsibility to write down everything he sees (and ONLY what he sees) for generational and academic posterity, Corn was fulfilling a sacred responsibility to not only censor everything save the facts, but also to provide all the facts, pertinent or otherwise. I applaud him for being able to achieve this goal and still produce a timely, topical and readable volume for one of the most volatile election-year political climates in history.
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Summary: Hard to Get Through But Compelling
Review: David Corn's book is essentially a compendium of the Bush history of lies and deception that began during his candidacy for governor of Texas. President Bush and more importantly, his administration are exceedingly manipulative, untruthful and unfit to hold the public trust. Mr. Corn provides a panoramic view of the Bush Administration's deceit. The book is not an easy read, and its hard prose is indicative of Mr. Corn's stridency. However, it is compelling and though provoking. The reader should however read pro-Bush tomes by Mr. Hannity and company and come to their own conclusions about the trustworthiness of the president. I for one made up my mind when he was governor of my state several years ago...
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