"Bill Clinton, no!"

Hat tip to Mystery Science Theater 3000 for the title.

Back when Bill Clinton was first running for national office, I immediately pegged him as a liar. It wasn't any kind of psychic prediction on my part, nor did I have to catch him in any specific lie to know he was a liar. I knew it because of the way he talked. He was careful. Too careful. He was a used car salesman, skillfully playing up the lemon's strong points while deftly parrying any questions from the customer that might result in any embarrassing facts coming to light. He was the type of liar willing and able to deceive you with the truth.

Barack Obama gave me a MST3K moment with his statements regarding differences with Gen. Petraeus on Iraq.



There it is. The evasion, the rephrasing, and even the half smile so characteristic of Clintonian obfuscation.

Certainly Obama is not as smooth as Bill Clinton. Obama even seems slightly embarrassed at being in the position of spinning the issue whereas Clinton was expert at appearing earnest when his words least deserved it. If the viewer doesn't pick up on the deceit then the half smile just communicates that he's a friendly guy.

Just like used-car salesmen are friendly.

My favorite part, by the way, is how he distinguishes between the military leaders' focus on Iraq while the great Obama thinks in terms of an overall security strategy. The Senate just confirmed Petraeus as the overall commander for the U.S. military. So any talk of Obama basing his Iraq pullout ideas on the desire to succeed in Afghanistan and Pakistan still conflicts with Petraeus since Petraeus is ultimately in charge of the whole military ball of wax. Obama needs to explain how the loss of Iraq is an acceptable risk in an overall national security policy.

For background on Obama's deceit on the Iraq War, go here.