For political advantage (October 2012)

I am not a fan of David Letterman, given his rough treatment of Conservatives. So I was surprised when he said, “You want your President to be telling the truth; you want the contender to be lying…Mitt said, (about an allegation made against him by the President) ‘No no, check the thing, check the thing…’ and so what we found out…President Obama was not telling the truth…I felt discouraged…” Well ought we all feel discouraged, Mr Letterman! Well might we be discouraged when the great tragedy of Benghazi is buried on page 12 of our major newspapers, while a Republican’s statement about his belief in the rights of unborn babies is ridiculed by the press on page one. Well might we be discouraged when the press cannot make news of the fact that men fighting for their lives sent out urgent requests for reinforcements, not once, not twice, but three times, during seven hours of furious fighting, and were refused, although a Delta Force team was available to be flown in. Well might we be discouraged when, given the duty of the press to investigate and uncover the facts, it willfully neglects its duty, and instead, for political advantage will stifle the truth…”Oh say, what is truth?” asked the poet, ‘Tis the fairest gem That the riches of worlds can produce…’Tis the brightest prize To which mortals or Gods can aspire…’Tis an aim for the noblest desire…” Yes, well might we be discouraged, when the holder of the highest office in the land fails us! But the poet continues, prophetically: “The sceptre may fall from the despot’s grasp When with winds of stern justice he copes…”