Conventions are a time when seasoned politicians turn into cheerleaders to rally the party faithful and the undecided voters.
One could have expected a certain degree of artistic license at this week's Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., where the GOP officially nominated Mitt Romney as its candidate for president. But some members of the party are so eager to attack President Barack Obama they're forgetting one little thing: facts.
For letting campaign rhetoric get beyond the truth, and for a degree of hypocrisy in attacking Obama on things they were part of themselves, the entire Republican Party wins this week's the Whopper of the Week, a distinction awarded by the Washington Guardian to the most untruthful or misleading statements by news-makers.
Romney has been consistently saying that more government is not the answer to improving the economy, creating jobs and moving the U.S. forward. He attacked what he feels is Obama's government-heavy approach in his Thursday night acceptance speech.
"Jobs to him are about government," the former Massachusetts governor said.
But the recent passing of Apollo astronaut Neil Armstrong put Romney in a difficult position. Romney acknowledged the first man to walk on the moon, and said the spirit of that accomplishment was an example of the things that make the U.S. a great nation.
Going to the moon, however, was one of the most expensive and most successful programs ever funded by the U.S. government. Although costing billions of dollars, it created thousands of jobs, catapulted the advancement of computer technology and helped reunify a nation dealing with the difficulties of the 1960's.
Which goes to show just how difficult it can be sometimes to attack government spending without noting the accomplishments as well.
But the politically loaded rhetoric didn't stop with Romney.
Vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan attacked Obama on ignoring the recommendations from the bipartisan Congressional debt committee. But Ryan, who chairs the House Budget Committee, voted against those same recommendations.
In their rush to paint the economy under the president as dismal, most GOP speakers are ignoring good - albeit somewhat small - economic indicators. Personal income rose and Americans are spending money at the fastest rate in five months.
And, as earlier reported by the Washington Guardian, many Republicans are still attacking Obama on failed clean energy companies like Solyndra, despite pushing for funding for their own hydrogen fuel cell projects.
To be fair, the Democrats will hold their convention in Charlotte, N.C., starting on Labor Day and they will have plenty of opportunities to stretch the truth next week.
