Is there ever a reason for the President to lie to America?

[TrueAmerican]

You knew this question was coming. Now you can answer it.

[diamondsoul]

1. Absolute not ever.

Keep something quiet, maybe for national security, outright lie, NO.

[wuushew]

3. My problem with national security is that it is too vague

Just who does decide what is a threat to national security? Is it tangible? Does it lye on a slippery slope?

Written law and historically president are far more tangible and transparent things open to the scrutiny of public opinion.

[TexasPatriot]

2. depends on whether you want to know the TRUTH about area 51

:silly: :bounce:

[wuushew]

4. The truth of Area 51 is that there are a lot of idiots in Nevada

who for some reason cannot realize that many blackops aircraft have been developed and tested in their backyard.

[Muddleoftheroad]

12. As silly as Area 51 is, it's a great example

Suppose for a second it's real.

If the president came out and admitted it, not only might it pose a national security issue (aliens would find out), but also it would create chaos and panic.

So, when asked, the president must lie.

I think probably a fair number of national security issues are like this. Suppose the government DID/DOES know the story behind Kennedy, but it would have sent us to a nuclear war or caused a civil war or whatever. Again, the president must choose what is in the best interests of the nation.

In this day and age of potential nuclear/biological/chemical terror attacks, it is even more the case.

[leftofthedial]

5. private matters that are none of our business

like blowjobs, marital infidelity, family issues

are okay to lie about.

[Donna Zen]

6. Different views:

There are actual "national security" secrets...which you just don't talk about or leak.

There are answers that require diplomacy...that may be hedging but need to handled with care. Example: Do you disagree with Putin?

Then there are out right lies, that have nothing to do with diplomacy or national security. They are for manipulation of the voters. And no, we should never accept this as okay.

[wuushew]

7. How do you prove Bush lied about anything he has ever said?

A lie is something that you speak or write when you personally know otherwise. How do we know Bush does not think Saddam was involved in 911? The man does not read, keep memos or use the benefit of a whitehouse tape system. He is also the man who thinks Gawd told him to invade Iraq. Bush is guilty of giving factually incorrect information, but if he truly is delusional is he guilty of lying?

[Myra]

8. How about if they ask Bush if he's lied (which will evoke yet another lie)

Then maybe the wingut media moutpieces will have the right
to ask it of our candidates.

I'm sick of them giving the fascist Oil Cartel a pass on all issues, then posing gotcha questions to the Dems.

[Zynx]

9. Yes. In the interests of national security like the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Kennedy lied about having a cold to get back to Washington early. That was appropriate.

[slackmaster]

10. I can't envision a situation where a non-answer would not serve

Lies always beget more lies.

[SadEagle]

17. A case when a non-answer is interpreted as a yes.

Like "Mr.President, is that true there is a hostage situation ongoing at place X?". An answer "I'll not answer that" reads like a definite "Yes".

Now, it'd probably be best to try to make it impossible for the question to be <i>asked</i>, but if there is some pre-scheduled press conference of sorts making it impossible to ask questions for too long may be impractical.

[DrFunkenstein]

11. I Had No Problem With Monica-Gate

There are clearly circumstances when it is acceptable, and when it is not. But who needs to lie, when misinformation works so much better?

[maddezmom]

13. I voted no

But, I'm also a realist.

[Q3JR4]

14. Private family matters

shouldn't be important to anyone else save the family that the matter refers to. Sure the Pres. can lie about what is happening in his family because that's no one's business save his own. It's when he lies about things that ARE important to the American public--Saddam is looking for Yellow Cake, Saddam has WMDs, Saddam and Osama are in cahoots, this war isn't about oil, Haliburton is going to have to pay back everything they overcharged us, etc, etc--that this question becomes important.

:shrug:

[VermontDem2004]

15. Yes if it is about his/her sex life

I am sure there are other reasons, there are probaly some things the public shouldn't know.

[rock]

16. Boy, howdy!

bushsucks* has all kind of reasons to lie. Why if his lips are moving, he's lying. And if they're not, he's wondering what lie he should tell. Of course, if you mean is there ever justifiable reason for a president to lie, well, it's problematic.

[govegan]

18. Honesty is best policy.