When lies become the means of persuasion a democracy cannot stand. Adjusting your ideas to your audience and adjusting your audience to your ideas (Donald Bryant) is the essence of political, deliberative speech. Such "adjustment" takes place in a context where free exchange of ideas which prevents prevarication. When an opponent has opportunity to directly rebut, the truth will emerge.

What we are seeing in our leaders is not "adjustment of ideas," or management of ideas to lead audiences to what they perceive as the best conclusion; rather we are seeing boldfaced lies.

Here are some examples taken from The Independent (UK):

The build-up to war: What Bush said,

Intelligence leaves no doubt that Iraq continues to possess and conceal lethal weapons
George Bush, Us President 18 March, 2003

Now Rumsfeld says:
It is possible Iraqi leaders decided they would destroy them [WMD] prior to the conflict
Donald Rumsfeld, US Defence Secretary 28 May, 2003

For which lie did innocent civilians and soldiers die?