Friday, December 01, 2006

The Lying Deceiver that is George F. Will

George Will's paper, the Washington Post, reported recently on an exchange between Virginia Senator-Elect Jim Webb and President Bush that took place at a recent White House reception for freshmen members of Congress. After Webb avoided the receiving line and the photo-op with the President, Bush sought him out. According to the Post, the exchange went like this (note that Webb's son, a Marine, is serving in Iraq):

Bush: How's your boy?

Webb: I'd like to get them out of Iraq, Mr. President.

Bush: That's not what I asked you. How's your boy?

Webb: That's between me and my boy, Mr. President.

In yesterday's column, George Will decided to take an editor's knife to this exchange, as reported by his paper, and turn it into something a bit less flattering for Mr. Webb and a bit more flattering for the President. According to Will's inventive mind, the conversation went as follows:

Bush: How's your Boy?

Webb: I'd like to get them (sic) out of Iraq.

Bush: How's your boy?

Webb: That's between me and my boy.

So a couple of things come to mind. George Will removed the respectful "Mr. President" from both of Webb's replies. George Will removed the antagonistic comment, "That's not what I asked you." that Bush threw at Webb.

George Will has always been Reagan puppet. Remember that he coached Reagan on his debate with Jimmy Carter, using a stolen copy of Carter's debate playbook, and then went on the air as a pundit, without disclosing his role as a professional member of Reagan's team, to claim that Reagan had won the debate.

Webb, who served as Secretary of the Navy under the Reagan Administration, is a democrat now, in no small part because of his views against the current war. So Will has clearly singled him out as a target, seeing Webb as a turncoat and all. Will's history of playing fast and loose in the honesty department meant there was no impediment to recreating the above exchange to favor Bush over Webb. So he did.

I would also point out that Webb's response to President Bush is exactly consistent with his entire campaign. He has always refused to use his son for political gain, and whenever reporters have asked him about his son, he has said, "I'm sorry, but that's between me and my son." Webb has refused to use his son's service in the Marines in campaign advertisements and literature. In this, he has been both consistent and honorable.

George Will, on the other hand, is a certifiable waste of oxygen.

Labels: ,