"But allowing elected officials to say anything they want about people running for office — and requiring zero proof in order to report those claims — seems to be a bridge too far. And to defend that behavior by saying, "Well, we won, didn't we?" feels like the junior high school logic that shouldn't be employed by the men and women trusted with representing us in Washington — or anywhere else." ~ Chris Cillizza, Washington Post

Welcome to your source for all things mostly fit to print. Sorry. I can't prove that one. It is Wednesday, April 22, 2015, and I do bid you a hearty hello and welcome. Everyone now knows that Senator Harry Reid's accusation on the senate floor that stated he had sources that could prove Mitt Romney did not pay one penny in federal income taxes for 12 years is completely false. Here we had the top democrat and majority leader in the senate blatantly lying through his teeth publicly to his colleagues and to the rest of our nation. Now that he is retiring he was asked about this assertion. Here's the official report of his response: "In an exclusive interview with CNN’s Dana Bash, departing Democratic Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said he had no regrets about lying on the Senate floor that Republican Mitt Romney hadn’t paid his taxes in 12 years, because in the end, 'Romney didn’t win.'" That's the point folks. His lie worked. That's where we are as a nation. I wasn't a Mitt Romney supporter although I did vote for him but things like this are almost too sad to comment on. Now the next election cycle looms. The mainstream actually interviewed Romney's grade school classmates to try and dig up dirt while at the same time they refused to fact check or delve deeply into the background, the grades, or even the family history of the current occupant of the oval office. Now they have found a photo of Marco Rubio who was once in a high school musical talent contest and he is seen in a performing group who are not wearing shirts. I suppose this proves him to be unfit to be a candidate for the Republican nomination for the presidency. I'm not a Rubio supporter but stuff like that borders on the moronic. I know the lunacy is not new but it's also very tiresome. And, we are only getting ready to get ready. Wearisome indeed!

I know. I know. Some are not even aware of these shenanigans and they really would just as soon be out of the loop. Because of what is at stake, being uninformed, will, in my opinion, not translate into our well being. I believe this should be of concern to us all while we seek the Lord's help on behalf of those who are our elected leaders. I was watching the day President Obama's spokesperson was confronted with Senator Reid's explanation of why his lie was okay. The reporter wanted to know what the White House position was on this kind of deceitful approach as a strategy. The press secretary responded by talking about the huge number of bills that had been passed by Senator Reid and how that the President's legacy would include great accolades for Senator Reid. When pressed he finally concluded that as it relates to what is and is not said on the senate floor, they would have to talk directly to the senator. That was the whole point. They were asking about a direct quote. One only assumes that in this administration their achieving of a desired outcome is the only thing that matters regardless of the means to get there. What have we learned? There is no moral compass that guides many of the people who are the elected leaders in our nation. Jeremiah from the Old Testament said it this way: "The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9)

I'm certainly not excluding myself from Jeremiah's inspired assessment. At the same time it would be good for folks to do their best with God's help to make decisions that reflect honesty and integrity. I was reading one article that asked what message is being sent when lying is openly touted as being okay if you win. Is that what we want our children to learn? Would Senator Reid advise his grandchildren to tell lies on their schoolmates in order to gain an advantage? After all, that would promote their desire to achieve and that is the purpose of their education. Right? I think we can see where this type of rationalizing without any controls will lead us. And, oh by the way, look around, as a nation we certainly are not in Kansas anymore, and the place where we are may not be very good at all. And, that's my thoughts on the subject as I remind myself of my responsibilities before the Lord. Maybe tomorrow I will have something a little more encouraging to share. Until then, remember, God does care about how we operate the lives He has given to us. Amen. ...More later.