When is it OK to Lie?

News from World Net Daily

Another politician may have gotten caught embellishing the truth. This time it was a state politician in Minnesota, Senate Majority Leader, Dean Johnson.

The WND story claims that Johnson told New London - Spicer Ministerial Association that three Minnesota Supreme Court Justices had assured him that they would not support a pending proposal for a constitutional amendment defining marriage as a union between one man and one woman. Apparently the justices did not say any such thing. Johnson was caught embellishing the conversations with those justices. Of course it took some ministers recording their conversation with Johnson to raise the issue. Hard for a politician to deny a taped conversation

Johnson has subsequently admitted to embellishing the truth during his interview with the Minnesota Star Tribune.

Now Johnson says it (the amendment) will be debated this year. (Was that before the release of his little embellishment or after?) Johnson is crying foul about being recorded without his knowledge and paints himself "as a victim" of those mean spirited ministers.

Johnson attributed the timing of the tape's release to the gay marriage debate, saying the supporters of a constitutional amendment were trying to put him under pressure and embarrass him. (Bos'un added comment: Please....Give it up Dean. You were caught lying, now pay the price for it.) Source: TwinCities.com

This raises several ethics questions. Do politicians have an expectation of privacy when discussing legislation with constituents? When is it OK for politicians to embellish the truth? Do two ends justify the means? Is it appropriate for politicians to block peoples' business from floor votes or from up and down votes?

We see this type of behavior playing out with out when nations government bodies filibuster, block up and down votes, and disrupt other peoples' business from being heard. Are we, the public, getting short changed by politicians nationally and on a state level?

Read the below articles and ask yourself the question, "Is it OK for a politician to embellish the truth when it concerns the peoples' business?"

• WND- Politician caught on tape 'embellishing' told ministers he received assurances from justices about marriage law
• StarTribune - Majority leader 'embellished' conversation with justice
• StarTribune - Johnson contrite as fallout continues
• TwinCitiesPioneerPress - Johnson comments energize both sides in battle over gay marriage

Technorati tags: Senator Dean Elton Johnson (MN), St. Paul, MN, gay marriage debate, same-sex unions, constitutional amendment, indecency, Minnesota Citizens in Defense of Marriage, Out Front Minnesota, Minneapolis, Politically Correct, Liberalism, Twin Cities, MSP, credibility, Ten Commandments, brouhaha, Politicians who lie, journalists