Mitt Romney has learned the lesson of the Big Lie — how to simply state things that are not true, with authority: Romney: I ‘Did Not Speak About’ Palestinian Culture.

CBS News) Under fire from Palestinian leaders for recent comments suggesting that Israel’s economic success is borne out of its “culture,” Mitt Romney on Tuesday attempted to clarify his remarks, telling Fox News in an interview that he had not talked about “the Palestinian culture or the decisions made in their economy.”

“I’m not speaking about it, did not speak about the Palestinian culture,” Romney told Fox’s Carl Cameron, taped before the candidate’s departure from Poland. “That’s an interesting topic that perhaps could deserve scholarly analysis but I actually didn’t address that. I certainly don’t intend to address that during my campaign. Instead I will point out that the choices a society makes have a profound impact on the economy and the vitality of that society.”

Yes, he absolutely did speak about Palestinian culture; this is an outright lie. Here are the exact quotes again:

“As you come here and you see the GDP per capita, for instance, in Israel which is about $21,000 dollars, and compare that with the GDP per capita just across the areas managed by the Palestinian authority, which is more like $10,000 per capita, you notice such a dramatically stark difference in economic vitality,” he said. …

“Culture makes all the difference,” Romney told Israeli donors on Monday. “And as I come here and I look out over this city and consider the accomplishments of the people of this nation, I recognize the power of at least culture and a few other things.”

Has there ever been a politician who lies as fluently and with as little self-consciousness as Mitt Romney?