Republican hypocrisy exposed in George Santos lies

Letter: When lies were called out! What a difference a couple of generations make. Echo opinion letter published in the Standard-Examiner, a Utah newspaper. 

A Rep. Elise Stefanik- Rep-NY- campaign spokesperson told CNN that Stefanik was not aware of the allegations (against Santos) prior to the New York Times reporting. Multiple Republican operatives in Washington and New York told CNN that they found it implausible that Stefanik had not been aware of Santos’ many falsehoods

What a difference a couple of generations have made in the GOP. Today we have a political party that is completely riddled with lies and liars- the Republican hypocrisy.  In fact, the leader of the party is the most prolific dishonest politician in American history and half of the members hang on his every word. 

Moreover, the latest shameful episode is where a newly elected GOP congressman- George Santos- has built his entire campaign around a series of lies and the Republican party appears to accept it as standard practice — nothing to be concerned about. 

In contrast to that we can go back a couple of political generations and compare the modern party to the GOP of that time where a newly elected congressman from Ogden, Douglas Stringfellow*, was caught up in a single lie that caused a national uproar. 

Stringfellow was a veteran of WWII and had been grievously wounded and paralyzed in a training accident. He was sent to Bushnell Military hospital in Brigham City and while there the story of how he got wounded transformed to being wounded in battle. He was subsequently elected to congress.

Shortly after that he was exposed (ambushed) as a fraud on national television (“This is your life”). It was a huge national embarrassment for the GOP and he was viciously vilified by the whole party and literally run out of Congress, the party and the state. He lived the rest of his life in shame and obscurity — all over one lie — which in today’s GOP would not even get a raised eyebrow out of most party members.

From Tom Owens in Farmington Utah
*Douglas R. Stringfellow (1922-1966) was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives for one term, best known for lying about his war record, education and achievements. When his Democratic opponents exposed him, the Latter Day Saints Church pressed Stringfellow to make a public confession.