In today's edition of the game show, "who is the biggest liar?" we have three contestants. A statement will be rated on a 0 to 10 scale, in which 0 would be a completely honest statement, such as Donald Trump saying "I have had a career in real estate" and 10 would be an inarguable lie such as "no evidence of global warming exists."
Our first contestant is Donald Trump, who on Saturday in Houston told families of people killed by illegal immigrants "Hillary Clinton is the first person in history to run for the presidency who is proposing to abolish the borders around the country that she is supposed to protect,"
Politico's Eli Stokols argues the claim "is not remotely close to being true" because Clinton "has never advocated halting deportations of undocumented immigrants convicted of crimes, or reducing or ending border enforcement."
Nonetheless, in the Univision-sponsored debate of 3/9/16, Clinton was asked by Jorge Ramos to assure the audience "that you won't deport immigrants who don't have a criminal record." Clinton responded "That's what I'm telling you." Therefore, considering all evidence, Trump's claim that his opponent wants "to abolish the borders around the country" merits a rating of 7.
Next up is the vice-presidential nominee, Indiana governor Mike Pence. Speaking in Miami on Friday of Secret Service protection for Mrs. Clinton, Trump had stated “I think that her bodyguards should drop all weapons . I think they should disarm. Immediately. Let's see what happens to her. Take their guns away, O.K. It'll be very dangerous."
On "This Week" Sunday, Martha Raddatz asked what Pence's running mate meant "by that" and he responded
I mean the point that he was making is that Hillary Clinton has had private security now in her life for the last 30 years, but she would deny the right of law abiding citizens to have a firearm in their homes to protect their own families.
I think what Donald Trump was saying is if Hillary Clinton didn't have all that security she would probably be a whole lot more supportive of the second amendment.
Trump did say Clinton "wants to destroy the Second Amendment, although that's untrue. But he had said nothing about the past 30 years or any private security she may have had.
Raddatz added "But let's see what happens to her. Whether he intended that or not, the message sounds a lot like a threat or encouraging violence."
Pence responded in part "That's absolute nonsense." I think that her bodyguards should drop all weapons think they should disarm. Immediately. Let's see what happens to her. Take their guns away, O.K. It'll be very dangerous.
There are two ways to interpret that remark- as a threat, or as encouraging violence. Pence's remark itself is nonsense and deserves a "9." However, given that it is difficult for a guy to admit his running mate has recommended assassination of his opponent, we'll move that down to an "8."
Our third contestant is Kellyanne Conway, nee Kellyanne Fitzpatrick Conway, Mrs. Conway once was recognized as co-chairperson of Trump's campaign, whereupon the media recognized that the other co-chairperson, Stephen K. Bannon, had no credibility. Hence, Conway was elevated in the media's telling to "chairman."
On "Face the Nation," John Dickerson asked Conway why Trump had changed the position he "held for five years, that Barack Obama was not born in the United States." Conway responded
Well, on Friday, he made very clear three things, number one, that it was Mark Penn, Hillary Clinton’s chief strategist and pollster, who put President Obama’s citizenship in question when he wrote a famous memo in March of 2007 questioning his -- quote -- “American roots,” saying, at a time of war, how could we elect someone like this? It was pretty radical stuff.
Hillary Clinton didn't buy the "questioning," apparently. Nor was Trump inspired or motivated by Mark Penn, who ended up parting ways with the Clinton campaign for an unrelated reason. For nearly five years, through a speech, a news conference, interviews and tweets, Donald Trump questioned Barack Obama's birthplace and never mentioned Mark Penn or Hillary Clinton. The myth that it started with Clinton has the stench of an accusation working its way back for a rationalization.
"And, then, of course," added Conway,
even Patti Solis Doyle, who was Hillary Clinton’s campaign manager in 2008, John, until she was fired by Hillary Clinton, admitted on Friday to Wolf Blitzer that she said, yes, these are her words. There was a volunteer in Iowa who was pushing this.
And so this started with Hillary Clinton’s campaign, number one.
Said volunteer, said campaign manager neglected to say, was immediately fired.
Penn's "American roots" itself wasn't even radical. John McCain had a similar thought in March of 2008 with a campaign ad ending with "the American President Americans have been waiting for." No one complained, and no one should have. (The approach was dropped around the time McCain selected a pro-secession Alaskan as his running mate.)
No one paid much if any attention to Mark Penn's insinuation and "this" was not "started with Hillary Clinton's campaign." Kellyanne Conway has outdone both Donald Trump and Mike Pence, and her fabrication is rated as a "9." She wins the competition and for her prize, she is awarded a press to continue to fawn upon her.
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