Josh Marshall brought up an interesting point today. ABC News online had a headline asking if John Kerry lied about his medals in 1971. Marshall asked how many times ABC has used the 'l' word to describe Bush.
I did a Nexis search for 'Bush' within one paragraph of 'lie' for the past five years of ABC transcripts. These are the results (a reply to something in a different thread, but it's too long to post there):
First, obviously this is sloppy research-- ABC News' online and broadcast divisions are probably quite separate, and I didn't search for other forms of 'lie' (for instance, it's possible that Peter Jennings opens every night's newscast with "George Bush is a liar"-- I wouldn't have found it).
Totals:
Alternate meanings: 15
Unrelated: 10
Bush/ admin says that Saddam lies: 6
Gore lied: 2 (see below)
Clinton Lied: 1 (Hillary, she said the Yankees have always been her favorite team, George will called her a liar 3 times in 2 sentances)
BUSH LIED: 0
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From Nov. 3 2000 -
PETER JENNINGS, anchor:
As you can imagine, the news media is all over this story of Governor Bush. It is clear as of now, that the government--the governor wanted this to stay private but did not want to lie about it.
(about lying about DUI on the jury questionaire)
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PETER JENNINGS, anchor:
In a moment we'll talk about Governor Bush and the death penalty, but first Vice President Gore. In Washington today, senior prosecutor at the Justice Department has recommended that special counsel be appointed to investigate Vice President Gore's activities during the last presidential campaign. Did he lie about his famous visit to a Buddhist temple?
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2/21/00
Bush: "I'm not going to lie"
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12/30/99
IAN SHOALES reporting:
...
But Bush did lie. Even if he misunderstood the question, he lied. If he thought it was asking about his favorite books for children rather than books he enjoyed as a child, he lied. This was the book some staffer handed him to read to the kids, he's never heard of it before, and wouldn't have thought of it again if this Pizza Hut survey hadn't have crossed his or some staffers desk. Any enthusiasm is feigned. That's not a big deal, I suppose, in light of the spectacular lies to which our current chief executive has subjected us. But still, a lie is a lie, right? I gotta go.
(highlights mine)
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To give an example of the uses, the first 6 are as follows:
1. - lie in the same meaning (telling a fib), but refering to somebody else in a roundup of coming news.
2. - alternate meaning (the details may lie in the fact)
3. - This Week With Stephanopolis -- Newt Gingrich says only "a hard line left winger who just hates the war and hates Blair and Bush" will believe that they deliberately lied. Then someone rhetorically asks if people will believe that they lied, and she says it's a "gray area". Check one, although not the news division.
4. - From the May Dem. debate, Dean spoke in a long paragraph, used the two words completely unrelated.
5. - Bush admin. revealed that one of its sources for the Iraq war failed a lie detector test.
6. - again, "crucial hours lie ahead".