A Page From Dr.Goebbels' Playbook

It's always tempting (and a bit ironic), to refer to the radical left as Nazis. But if you examine their information management technqiues, you'll see that the Moonbat Brigade are skilled practitioners of the "Big Lie," the propaganda method perfected by Hitler's mouthpiece, Dr. Joseph Goebbels. According to the Big Lie theory, a falsehood repeated often enough is eventually accepted as the truth.

Of course, the left claims that the Bush Administration has used the "Big Lie" technique as well, specifically in the run-up to the Iraq War. The latest manifestation of this charge came earlier this week, when Minority Leader Harry Reid took the Senate into closed session over those charges. Reid claimed that the Bush White House used "doctored" intelligence to lead us into war, and that Senate Republicans have been dragging their feet on an investigation into that matter.

But the claims of Reid (and other Democrats) have more than a few holes. First of all, Senate Republicans had previously announced plans to release a report on the investigation next week, so that claim is clearly without merit. That brings us to the more serious issue of whether the administration used "sexed-up" intelligence to make the case for invading Iraq.

I hate to disappoint the Dems, but the facts refute that claim as well. Today's WSJ Editorial Page notes the findings of three separate panels (two American, one British) that found no evidence that intelligence was altered due to political pressure or coercion.

But Harry Reid and his pals never let the facts get in the way of a political theme or talking points. Keep repeating the charge that "Bush Lied," or "The White House Twisted Intelligence," and certain segments of the public will accept them as facts. Having these charges echoed in the MSM doesn't hurt, either. Daffydd ab Hugh had a brillant post yesterday, outlining how MSM coverage of the Iraq War and related intelligence issues seems to match Democratic position papers.

Taking a page from Dr. Goebbels' playbook, the Democrats seem to believe that repeating the big lies will carry them to victory in 2006 and beyond. While that theory remains untested, their charges have gained a measure of traction, as evidenced by declining public support for the Iraq War. The Republicans (and the White House) need a coherent strategy for defeating the Big Lies, but so far, that hasn't happened. Meanwhile, the left's distortion and twisting of the facts continues.