Too many people in politics telling too many lies.

10 big fat lies and the liars who told them (Click here to read more)

By Moyers & Company
Sunday, June 29, 2014 8:25 EDT
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This story originally appeared at BillMoyers.com
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Investigative journalist Chuck Lewis joined Bill this week to discuss his new book, 935 Lies: The Future of Truth and the Decline of America's Moral Integrity, that looks at the history of government officials and media pundits speaking and repeating (and repeating and repeating) untruths to shape public opinion and policy.
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The title of the book refers to the number of times President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and other top administration officials made false statements in the run-up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. But the book has a far greater scope, looking at how lies have shaped American policy over several decades.
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Here are 10 notable whoppers that affected hundreds, thousands, and in some cases, millions of lives.
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1. President Barack Obama on health insurance plans

"If you like the [health care] plan you have, you can keep it."

-President Barack Obama, June 6, 2009 (similarly stated numerous times)
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2. President George W. Bush on weapons of mass destruction

"We found the weapons of mass destruction [in Iraq]. We found biological laboratories."

-President George W. Bush, May 29, 2003
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3. Vice President Dick Cheney on weapons of mass destruction

"Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction. There is no doubt he is amassing them to use against our friends, against our allies, and against us."

-Vice President Dick Cheney, August 26, 2002
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4. R.J. Reynolds on the health hazards of cigarettes

"Cigarette smoking is no more 'addictive' than coffee, tea or Twinkies."

-James W. Johnston, CEO of RJR Nabisco, April 14, 1994
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5. President Ronald Reagan on the Iran-Contra scandal

"In spite of the wildly speculative and false stories of arms for hostages and alleged ransom payments, we did not, repeat, did not, trade weapons or anything else for hostages. Nor will we."

-President Ronald Reagan, November 13, 1986
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6. The Reagan administration on the the El Mozote massacre

"There is no evidence to confirm that [US-supported El Salvador] government forces systematically massacred civilians in the [El Mozote] operations zone."

-Assistant Secretary of State Thomas Enders, February 8, 1982
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7. President Richard Nixon on the Watergate break-in

I can say categorically that… no one in the White House staff, no one in this administration, presently employed, was involved in this very bizarre incident."

-President Richard Nixon, discussing the Watergate burglary, August 29, 1972
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8. President Richard Nixon on covert operations in Chile

"For us to have intervened [in Chile] - intervened in a free election and to have turned it around - I think would have had repercussions all over Latin America…"

-President Richard Nixon, January 4, 1971
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9. President Lyndon Johnson on the Vietnam War

We are not about to send American boys nine or ten thousand miles away from home to do what Asian boys ought to be doing for themselves."

-President Lyndon Johnson, October 1964
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10. Senator Joseph McCarthy on communism

"I have here in my hand a list of 205 [State Department employees] that were known to the secretary of state as being members of the Communist Party and who nevertheless are still working and shaping the policy of the State Department."

-Senator Joseph McCarthy, February 9, 1950
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