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Election Lie Finally Revealed

Remember back during the campaign for President. Yes, way back then. The anti-war, anti-Bush zealots shot accusations like spitballs in a classroom – hoping one would hit and stick. If you remember, one of those charges accused Republican members of Congress with being “pro war” because they weilded enough influence to save their own sons and daughters from serving in Iraq. They viciously accused congressional members of sending the less-connected children to do the country’s dirty work.

Now, the public had no way to know if the accusation was valid. I, myself, wondered if it could be true. Were congressional members enacting “Do as I say, not as I do” legislation? Our Fourth Estate did not provide us with the answers. Since the press was mute on this issue, the public remained uniformed; and, many accepted the allegation as true. After all, wouldn’t our esteemed Fourth Estate enlighten us if the information was in error?

Apparently not. Today — more than four months after the Presidential Election, we learn that at least five members of Congress have/had sons serving in Iraq. Four of these Congressmen are Republicans; one is a Democrat. All of these legislators voted to give President Bush the authorization to send troops into Iraq. All of their sons ended up in harms way while bravely serving their country. Their honor, as well as the sacrifice of their families, was diminished and sullied by the scurrilous allegation of Bush opponents.

Now, this situation begs two questions: “What stopped the press from providing this information while the accusations were flying during the campaign;” and, “How could these anti-war, anti-bush zealots spew such hateful lies?” The second question can be easily answered. These people would have stop at nothing to defeat Bush and as many Republican lawmakers as possible during the 2004 election. It’s obvious they have no conscience and believe in using whatever means possible as long as it leads to the desired result.

The first question is much more troubling. It is, after all, the design of the Fourth Estate to inform the public concerning such matters. The crafters of our Constitution planned for a free press to keep the government honest. They maintain a “watch dog” status for the benefit of the country. But, what happens when the watch dogs choose sides? Unfortunately, the public remains uniformed or under informed. They are not given the tools they need to make educated decisions concerning elected representatives.

This isn’t the first instance of media bias. The Dan Rather incident revealed a troubling trend and exposed more than the now-tainted MSM wished to divulge. This egregious breech belies the more subtle nature of other offenses. The Associated Press (AP) published the story on these congressional military families as a feature piece – months after the election. This information could have been presented while the accusations were flying. The public and the country suffer from a lack of judgment and integrity by the media. Something must be done to watch the watch dog.

Read the AP story and accompanying side bar