Citizens tend to believe that there is morality in politics. While that may have been the case when Jefferson was in office, the morality in politics has reached its nadir.
Clarence Darrow once said, "The infinite misfortune of moral deformity calls forth nothing but hatred and vengeance."
It's unfortunate to see that a number of our country's leaders have acted in ways that instill hated in the hearts of voters. All citizens should remember the disgraceful scandals that have occurred over the past year.
Most recently, US Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho was arrested for "lewd conduct" after soliciting anonymous gay sex from an undercover police officer in a bathroom of the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Despite Craig's subsequent guilty plea, he has maintained his innocence and heterosexuality.
In an Aug. 28, 2007 press conference, Craig said, "I am not gay. I never have been gay...In June I overreacted and made a poor decision. I chose to plead guilty to a lesser charge in hopes of making it go away."
An interesting claim from a man so familiar with the law. Craig has served as a senator for 17 years. The Methodist rancher won't be run running for reelection in 2008.
During the summer, Florida State Representative Bob Allen of Merritt Island was charged with soliciting prostitution from a male police officer. Allen claimed that his fear of the African-American officer caused him to make the offer, according to a Washington Post blog by Emil Steiner.
Over the summer, Allen was quoted in the Orlando Sentinel, "I am vigorously going to fight this. I am not resigning my office."
He went on to say, "This is an ugly and unpleasant situation that has been thrust upon me and my family."
Allen recently resigned his office after being convicted and sentenced to six months of probation.
Around the same time as the Allen scandal, US Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana was found to be involved with the DC Madam prostitution scandal. Ironically, Vitter replaced US Rep. Bob Livingston in 1999, who resigned from office after an adultery scandal, according to a CNN article.
Nonetheless, Vitter, a Roman Catholic, has remained in office even after Larry Flynt's exposure of the scandal. But not to worry: God has forgiven Vitter.
"This was a very serious sin in my past for which I am, of course, completely responsible." Vitter said in a statement. "Several years ago, I asked for and received forgiveness from God and from my wife in confession and marriage counseling."
Perhaps the most serious scandal of all took place over a year ago when the spouseless, Roman Catholic US Rep. Mark Foley of Florida was accused of sending sexual instant messages to pages.
ABC's Brian Ross broke the case to the public in late Sept. 2006. More pages came forward after the initial report, saying they had endured similar situations with Foley. The reports prompted the Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert to push Foley to resign, or else he would be removed from office.
According to a Sept. 30, 2006 Associated Press article by Larry Margasak, Foley once said, "We track library books better than we do sexual predators."
In a CNN article from Oct. 3, 2006, Foley's attorney, David Roth, insisted that his client never had sexual contact with any of the pages.
While Republicans made the immoral decisions that I've discussed, it would be unfair of me to stereotype all Republicans that way; moral and immoral people exist on both sides of the aisle. Morality isn't about blue or red; it's colorblind.
What's important for the public to know is that politicians lie. With that idea, it is up to all citizens to delineate how our leaders will act from what they say to us and from their past actions.
Even when we have compiled what we think to be a comprehensive view of these righteous politicians, we still don't know whom we're dealing with.
When you watch the debates and eventually go to the polls, it's not about party color - it's about the actions that are best for our country.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
