The Washington Post
Corn, the Washington editor of the Nation, makes no pretense of political impartiality. This is a fierce polemic, but it is based on an immense amount of research. In my judgment it does present a serious case for the president's partisans to answer in relation to both domestic and foreign policy, a case that ought to be in voters' minds when they cast their ballots in the 2004 presidential election … A political culture in which lies and charges of lying are thought normal is a dangerous one. Weimar was one such, and it was Adolf Hitler who learned how to exploit it. The currency, not only of lying but also of charges of lying, suggests just how viciously polarized American politics has become, and 2004 is not yet here. — Godfrey Hodgson
Publishers Weekly
As Washington editor for the Nation, Corn has had his eyes and ears open for what he construes as lies from the Bush White House, and here he has assembled what many will see as an impressive body of evidence. Corn states that Bush has "mugged the truth-not merely in honest error, but deliberately, consistently and repeatedly to advance his career and his agenda." Corn carefully documents alleged falsehoods dating back to the campaign trail covering a full range of issues-from Enron to education, global warming to stem cell research. But this is no simplistic anti-Bush rant; it also faults the media for not underlining the apparent lies and the public for not caring enough. (Oct.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Library Journal
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. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 8/03.]-Michael A. Genovese, Loyola Marymount Univ., Los Angeles Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
