To the editor:

The third presidential debate started off with a lie, this time about one of Bush’s own flip-flops.

For his first question, moderator Bob Schieffer asked the candidates if they believed our world would ever be as safe as it had been when “we were children.” (I’d question whether our world has really been all that safe in our lifetimes; there have been two world wars and a 40-year cold war, and it seems a strangely naÃive premise.) After exchanging their initial answers, Schieffer allowed each a 30-second follow-up answer.

Kerry said that “six months after he said Osama bin Laden must be caught dead or alive, this president was asked, ‘Where is Osama bin Laden?'” He said the president had answered, “I don’t know. I don’t really think about him very much. I’m not that concerned.”

Bush immediately responded with, “Gosh, I just don’t think I ever said I’m not worried about Osama bin Laden. It’s kind of one of those exaggerations.”

But, of course, he did say that very thing. In fact, the official White House transcript of a press conference of March 13, 2002, quotes Bush saying, “I’ll repeat what I said. I truly am not that concerned about him.”

Do you think he just forgot that he said it? Or did he just not want us to remember? Doesn’t he realize that his statements will be checked within minutes of him saying them?

Wake up, Americans, you’re being played for fools.

Mike Cuenca,

Lawrence