When Is A Lie A Lie?

       Its getting so the simple lie is no longer so simple. Politicians have long used the lie to assure their constituents that they will be foremost in the hearts and minds of the candidates. The businessman tells little lies like I'm the biggest, or we've got the best or our prices are the lowest and so on. Parents assure their children there is a Santa and Easter Bunny, and all these lies are overlooked as harmless utterances by folks just trying to be good people.
       But now-a-days there's more to a lie than there used to be. Now when you call off sick to go golfing or to attend a political rally, some bosses just might fire you. Now, a politician might accuse an opponent of all manner of vile offences that could land them in jail and even promise to put that opponent in jail himself, if elected.
       Now has came the time when candidates for appointed, critical, national positions seem to think its okay to lie about situations that are fairly easy to disprove, and do it under oath. And they wonder why they're in trouble for it. Of course both parties seem willing to do it which makes it all the more reprehensible. It's getting to the point that lying under oath seems a required strategy The only useful thing about it is that it keeps researchers fully employed. And which research has become a growth industry.
       Now I don't want you to think that all politicians lie. It just seems that only those who get elected lie. Those who don't lie go on to other endeavors. What we have to look at is the degree of the lie. Is it a small thing like telling a constituent that he'll look into yada,yada,yada, when he actually means he'll tell an unpaid staffer to check it out. If he thinks of it and with no authority to look into it. Or is it a lie that could or should land him before a firing squad. Like lying about something, while under oath, to Congress or a court.  Or somewhere in between.
       Of course there's also and always the 'intentional / unintentional' statement to consider too. But no matter how you slice it its becoming more and more commonplace. I'd not be surprised to hear its become a required subject in political science courses.