I’m a conservative -- a proud conservative -- a conservative who believes that the tax-the-rich-to-help-the-poor policies so often put forth by our liberal friends put more strain on the poor than they do the rich and are historically proven to fail. I’m a conservative who believes that the most proven way to stimulate the economy is to inact massive across the board tax cuts as was done in the 1920s, the 1960s, and the 1980s. I’m a conservative who believes the federal bureaucracy is bloated, inefficient and sucking billions of dollars each year away from the pockets of taxpayers who would otherwise invest their earnings in the private sector. So it would be very hard for me to vote for a candidate who does not share these views.

But I have to ask.

How important is the truthfulness of a politician who is a candidate for your vote?

We were told in the ‘90s that character does not matter. We are hearing that again today with the Elliot Spitzer saga, the Jeremiah Wright controversy, the Detroit mayor indictment, and now the Hillary Clinton Bosnia tale. When Republicans are found to be untruthful, the media focus is often not on the lies but the hypocrisy.  Why?

Politicians are in office to serve – not to rule. They answer to the People – not the other way around. We are, with our votes, entrusting the future of our nation to their care. 

Truth is part of the glue that holds our republic together. As such, there is a reason perjury is a felony. Why should lying under oath in a courtroom result in a prison term and lying to the American People in an effort to obtain their vote be seen as nonchalantly “misspeaking”?

Therefore, I submit to you that when given the choice, it would be more prudent to cast your vote for an honest liberal than a crooked conservative. Of course, we avoid this dilemma entirely when we refuse to nominate a chronic liar as a candidate for public office.