The central philosophy of John McCain‘s campaign seems to be lying. They have wholeheartedly embraced lying, in all its various forms. They have lied early, they have lied often. They have blithely lied about matters where it is ridiculously easy to prove the lies.

An example of such bald-faced lies is the last week’s attempt to deny that McCain had ever confessed that the “issue of economics is not something I’ve understood as well as I should”:

On ABC this morning, Robin Roberts remarked to McCain: “You have admitted that you are not exactly the expert when it comes to the economy and many have said that… ”

McCain interjected, “I have not. I have not. Actually, I have not. I said that I am stronger on national security issues because of all the time I spent in the military and others. I am very strong on the economy. I understand it. I have a lot more experience than my opponent.”

The funny part is that just last month McCain accepted he had made the economic ineptitude remarks by claiming that they were taken out of context. There’s also the small matter of McCain adviser Carly Fiorina having confirmed “he did say it one time, no question, maybe twice.”

One has to assume that part of the reason why the McCain campaign has decided that it’s okay to go on lying about anything and everything is that the media has made it clear that McCain gets a free pass on the lies. If you’re never going to be called to account, then you may as well go on doing it. Much easier than dodging difficult questions, or actually defending embarrassing statements or idiotic policies.

Interestingly, one subject that repeatedly inspires McCain and the McCain campaign to lies is economic matters. (Presumably because McCain understands economics so well?)

Consider just two of the economic lies told by or on behalf of the McCain campaign over the last two days.

Yesterday, Carly Fiorina offered this gem in support of extending the George Bush tax cuts:

In the Bush tax cuts, if they are repealed, 23 million small businesses will have their taxes raised. Why? Because 23 million small businesses file their income tax as individuals. And so, when Barack Obama blithely says, only the wealthiest are going to be taxed, he is ignoring the fact that 23 million small businesses file as individuals and those small businesses are the only growing sector of the economy right now and small businesses produce 60%, actually it’s more like 70, 70% of the new jobs in this country.

Last month, McCain himself had said the same thing:

Senator Obama‘s plans would add to the difficulties of small business in other ways, too. Currently, there are the 21.6 million sole proprietorships filing under the individual income tax. When Senator Obama talks about raising income tax rates on those making over 250,000 dollars — that includes these businesses as well.

As Media Matters pointed out at the time:

However, Obama has proposed rolling back the Bush tax cuts only on “people who are making 250,000 dollars a year or more,” and according to the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center’s table of 2007 tax returns that reported small-business income, only 481,000 of those returns are in the top two income-tax brackets — which include all filers with taxable incomes of more than $250,000 — not 21.6 million.

Let’s go ahead and note that:
a) Fiorina repeated the falsehood well after it had already been debunked.
b) It doesn’t seem to have penetrated the bubble of elitist millionaire John McCain and his phalanx of millionaire lobbyists and ex-CEOs that roughly three-fourths of the small businesses they claim to champion earn less than $250,000 per year. In their distorted world-view, every small business that files a tax return must earn more than $250,000 a year.

And here’s Carly Fiorina again, on McCain’s pet economic pander, the gas tax holiday:

The best stimulus package possible right now is the gas tax holiday.

Too bad that McCain himself in a weak moment admitted that his gas tax holiday wouldn’t achieve anything more than providing a psychological boost to hapless consumers:

Let’s have some straight talk, it’s not a huge amount of money. But it might be nice to be able to save a few bucks and maybe buy something else the next time that they have to fill up their gas tank and say, “You know I’m going to be able to afford that little expense now.” A little psychological boost. That’s what I think it would help.

I cannot help wondering idly from time to time how badly McCain would be defeated in November if the media were to stop polishing McCain’s image, and defending him against imaginary attacks, and start reporting on his truly astonishing record of prevaricating in pursuit of the presidency. Let’s face it, McCain is lying even more than George Bush ever did in 2000.