Americans, not surprisingly, are feeling cynical.

Gallup's just released Honesty and Ethics of Professions poll shows that for the first time, a majority -- 55 percent -- rate members of the U.S. House of Representatives low/very low for honesty and ethics. Senators come in slightly better at 49 percent.

A whopping 9 percent of the house and 11 percent of the Senate get high/very high ratings in honesty and ethics.

Even members of the clergy do not escape this cynical cloud hanging over the nation. Although 50 percent rate the clergy as high/very high in honesty and ethics, this is the lowest since Gallup starting reporting it.

This prevailing mood of distrust is understandable given how commonplace it has become for so many in public life to lie to us.

A mountain of hacked emails shows that scientists who held the public trust regarding information on climate change research were liars. The emails show they selectively expunged data and suppressed research not supporting the conclusions they wanted showing man-made global warming.

Congress is frenetically trying to pass major health care reform that report after report shows is filled with politically manipulated data and conclusions.

And now we learn that even Tiger Woods has been lying to us about whom he is.

What is so troubling is that all this is not about human error or fallibility. It's the opposite. It's about individuals intentionally manipulating information to deceive the public in order to advance their own personal agendas.

 

who or what can you believe anymore. just like it says to many looking at their own agenda