it was the guy who is now wasting away in mar-a-lagoville, to quote jim acosta. let's, just for reference, look at the tape. the former president with putin in helsinki after being asked about the assessment by america's own intelligence professionals, including his hand-picked director of national intelligence, dan coats. did russia interfere in the 2016 election? >> my people came to me. dan coats came to me and some others. they said they think it's russia. i have president putin. he just said it's not russia. i will say this. i don't see any reason why it would be. >> that was in 2018 and, at the time, congressman mccarthy was a functioning adult with a working set of ears, by all accounts. also, a memory. but irony is dead. so is shame, apparently. but lying? that is alive and well and it's all part of a scheme to get the public accustomed to even more lies down the road. to show their supporters they can lie with impunity and demoralize anyone who still believes that, in the public arena, the simple truth can, still, prevail.