He paid only lip service to the dictator.
Indeed, despite the lip service U.S. administrations often pay to democratization in the Middle East, they are often too myopic to see beyond their current interests.
In fact, you must make a conscious effort to create a viable contingency plan instead of sticking your head in the sand or giving it only lip service.
Bush has never been a true believer in SDI, although as Vice President he paid lip service to the program as part of the catechism of the Reagan Administration.
Although politicians pay lip service to those goals, insufficient effort has been made to structure incentives in that direction.
Some people pay lip service to education, but don't vote taxes for better schools.