“The only time politicians tell the truth is when they call each other liars” is a one-line political saying that has been printed on many images. There does not appear to be any specific author of the saying. This was printed in a letter to the Detroit (MI) Free Press on October 25, 1988:
 
“The only difference between the Democrats and the Republicans is their fingerprints, and the only time they tell the truth is when they call each other liars.”
   
“The only time that politicians tell the truth,is when they call each other liars…” was posted on the newsgroup alt.x on November 18, 2000. “The only time the presidential candidates tell the truth is when they call each other liars” was posted on a blog in 2008.
 
   
25 October 1988, Detroit (MI) Free Press, pg. 13A, col. 1:
The only difference between the Democrats and the Republicans is their fingerprints, and the only time they tell the truth is when they call each other liars.
FERRER VALLE
Detroit
     
Google Groups: alt.x
Glo Congrats
ZQ
11/18/00
The only time that politicians tell the truth,is when they call each other liars…
 
21 July 2005, The Sun (San Bernardino, CA), “Muscoy advisory council has first meeting with new members” by Andrew Silva, pg. ?:
“What authority does this council have?’ asked resident Myra Hazlett, sporting a T-shirt that read “The only time politicians tell the truth is when they call each other liars.’
 
Twitter
schismatic37‏
@iamdevo
the only time politicians tell the truth is when they call each other liars~
11:42 AM - 27 Aug 2008
   
Idaho State Journal Politics
What’s the deal with John McCain?
Posted by ifennell - September 29, 2008 at 7:54 pm
(...)
COMMENTS
Zach says:
October 6, 2008 at 11:24 am
In a campaign tarnished by negativity, the only time the presidential candidates tell the truth is when they call each other liars.
 
Google Books
Demons of Democracy
By Mark Davis
Healthnets
2010
Pg. 91:
“The only time politicians tell the truth is when they call each other liars.”
 
Google Books
The Lenzy Kelley Book of Sayings
By Bubba
Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse
2014
Pg. 229:
The only time Politicians tell the truth is when they call each other liars.
 
Twitter
Shit Jokes‏
@ShitJokes
The only time politicians tell the truth is when they call each other liars.
4:56 PM - 18 Apr 2017