The GOP believes it has discovered a major flaw in Barack Obama’s character, wherein he stated that his uncle (rather than his great-uncle) had helped liberate Auschwitz (rather than another concentration camp) at the end of WWII. I don’t know if any of Obama’s statements are factually correct or not, but any described error on his part strikes me as what we lawyers refer to as “de minimis.” Does it discredit his honesty that there was a mistake as to which relative and which death camp were involved?
For the Republicans to want to make an issue of Obama’s honesty is a good example of psychological projection. Contrasted with Bush’s intentional lies, forgeries, and other factual distortions, Obama’s errors are trivial. Stated another way, how many innocent people died as a consequence of Obama’s misstatement? How many died as a result of George Bush’s dishonesty?
The GOP’s response, here, is symptomatic of a trait I have long observed among most Republicans – particularly the party hierarchy. The Democrats and Republicans are alike in each being corrupt. But while the Democrats are corrupt and clever, the Republicans have a penchant for being corrupt and unbelievably stupid.
