Even in a business as dishonest as politics, I’ve been reluctant to call candidates liars.  That is, until this year.  With great sadness and some trepidation I accused Chris Hackett of lying about Chris Carney in his political ads.  Since then, Time Magazine and the New York Times are among many publications to label various campaign statements as lies.  That’s strong language, even around politicians.

For me the last straw was Hackett’s recent campaign ad.  I’d already overlooked his delirious statement that the drop in oil prices a few weeks ago was due to “George Bush’s leadership in dropping the ban on offshore drilling.”  Bush had nothing to do with it.  It was because Americans started driving less, of course, but I let Hackett have his fantasy.  After all, I suppose you actually could make the argument for presidential leadership, even if it had been missing for 7 years. 

I even overlooked the recent campaign ad where he whined that Carney wouldn’t debate him and then got a bunch of people to echo his complaint.  Carney did agree to debate, of course, but since it was only one debate and not the half dozen or so Hackett wanted, I could see his point.

But I draw the line at his most recent bit of fiction.  Hackett’s ad started with the false premise that “Chris Carney won’t debate, so let’s review his stance on the issues….”  The ad went on to say that while Hackett is in favor of offshore drilling, Carney and the liberal Democrats are against it.  That’s a lie, plain and simple.

I know Chris Carney is in favor of offshore drilling, because I’m against it.  In fact, all the candidates from the 10^th and 11^th Congressional districts favor offshore drilling.  I’m against drilling offshore and while I’m a big fan of my Congressman Carney, I think he’s wrong on the drilling.  But he’s not a liar.  That space is reserved for Hackett.

I like Chris Carney even though I oppose drilling offshore.  It's a peace you have to make with your politicians.  You are just NOT going to always agree.  Make no mistake; I don’t think the choices are even close in this year’s races.  Paul Kanjorski, despite his family’s failed government-backed venture, has voted the right way on most of the major issues.  His opponent Lou Barletta has perverted illegal immigration into a wedge issue so that to support his law is to practice bigotry.  I have called Lou many things, but I never called him a liar.