"Figures don't lie, but liars figure." Aren't most of those liars politicians?

Samuel Clemens (AKA Mark Twain) was the source of the famous quote above, which has been corrupted into the more familiar “Statistics never lie, but liars use statistics.” Another turn on it is, “Most people use statistics the way a drunk uses a lamp post, more for support than enlightenment.” Sure we all can use statistics in deceptive ways. But aren’t politicians trying to make a case that we all should give up what we have in order to support some crony or donor of theirs the prime offenders?

For lots more fun with statements on statistics, see this.