Whatever happened to the libel and slander laws in this country?

Back in the early Sixties, I got disgusted with the unethical practices of the proprietor of a music store I was renting a studio from, so I moved my guitar teaching to a really nice store up the street. The first guy started bad-mouthing me to everybody who came into his store and even went so far as to try to get a coffeehouse where I was singing to fire me.

It got so bad that on the advice of the owner of the new music store, I called a lawyer. The lawyer filed a suit for libel and slander against this gink, who had to sign an order telling him to shut up about me—and pay me several thousand dollars in damages.

It would seem to me that Obama, or someone in his behalf, could sue these people (including Songwronger, for that matter) from hell to Sunday breakfast for the egregious lies they are telling about him.

Or are people in politics "fair game" for liars and hate-mongers?

Don Firth