Truth Overboard

When we teach our children about telling the truth, we tend to explain it like this: Always tell the truth because the real story will come out eventually. If you tell the truth, you won't have to remember which version of events you told whom. If you get a reputation for dishonesty, you may not be believed even when you are telling the truth. And - borrowing from pop psychology - the truth will set you free. But in public life these days, what sets you free is spin. Playing loose with the facts keeps your options...