If Seymour Hersh says the tale of the death of Osama bin Laden at the hands of US Navy SEALS is "one big lie" and "not one word of it is true," President Obama will be hard pressed to keep his job when Hersh's new book comes out. Over a lifetime, investigative reporter Hersh has become famous for his accuracy, honesty, reliability and integrity and if he says the bin Laden tale is a fake, you can take it to the bank. 

Hersh told "The Guardian," Britain's investigative daily, "Nothing's been done about that story." A Pakistani report on the killing of bin Laden, Hersh says, was published with considerable U.S. input and is "a bullshit report."  bin Laden allegedly was killed by a SEAL team in Abbottabad, Pakistan, May 1, 2011.

Hersh is writing a book about national security, "The Guardian" says, and he's hinted it will include a chapter on the Seals raid in Pakistan that allegedly bumped off bin Laden.

President Obama's administration lies systematically, Hersh asserts, yet is never challenged by America's supine media. "It's pathetic, they are more than obsequious, they are afraid to pick on this guy (Obama)," Hersh said.

Hersh claims President Obama is worse than Bush, "Guardian" writer Lisa O'Carroll, who interviewed Hersh, reports."Do you think Obama's been judged by any rational standards?" Hersh asks."Has Guantanamo closed? Is a war over? Is anyone paying attention to Iraq? Is he seriously talking about going into Syria?"How does Obama get away with the drone program?" How does he justify it? What's the intelligence?"Why don't we find out how good or bad this policy is?"

Hersh concludes, "The republic's in trouble, we lie about everything, lying has become the staple."

In his bid for re-election in 2012, the Obama campaign milked the bin Laden slaying for all it was worth, making a video narrated by actor Tom Hanks about it. The "Huffington Post's" Ben Feller at the time wrote an article headlined, "Obama Campaign Using Osama Bin Laden Killing As 2012 Campaign Tool." 

Obama earlier had trumpeted the killing as "the most significant achievement in our fight against Al Quida."

And Hersh says today the "gotcha" story is all "One Big Lie." Sounds like an investigation, perhaps even a prosecution, may be in order. #

(Sherwood Ross, who formerly reported for major dailies and wire services, is a public relations consultant for good causes.)