Why Is It?...

That when Bill Clinton gave Monica Lewinsky the business in the Oval Office, then said "I did not have sex with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky", and then used a rhetorical sleight-of-hand (read: lie) stating 'hey oral's not real sex!'... obviously nobody believed him.

But-

When George W. Bush all-out violates the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, admits it and tells Congress he will not tolerate any question of that, and has his Attorney General use a legal sleight-of-hand (read: lie) stating 'Even though they clearly stated otherwise at the time, Congress meant the Afghanistan resolution to give the President unlimited and unchecked secret powers!' ... Republicans seem quite poised to believe him?

I'm confused.

Circus Minimus also explores this- If the President says it, it must be true

[PS- Keep in mind these are the same guys who insisted that the U.S. doesn't torture because of their obviously logically fool-proof "We don't torture because we don't call the things we do 'torture'" argument. A politician wouldn't lie, would they?]