Dirty politics: More sad news from the political arena

Obviously there is a problem when it comes to more and more of the men who are working in the halls of Congress and in public positions around the country.

They simply do not have enough to do.

The recent seeming avalanche of sex scandals, questionable behavior and other issues involving violations of morality clauses is not just limited to one party, either. You need a scorecard to keep track of who is next to make a mea culpa announcement on national television.

It just seems to be the year for sex scandals and all sorts of other misdeeds.

The latest scandal, which involves New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, is particularly heinous. This is a man who has made a career out of crusading to get the rich and powerful to live lives of truth and honor. He has spoken harshly against those who have tried to profit illegally at the expense of the law and the public. He has done a lot of crusading for “what’s right.”

And now, he has been caught — rather stupidly — in the middle of a high-class prostitution ring.

Forget the irony of his humiliation. How ridiculous is it that a former prosecutor could be so stupid as to get caught up in something that illegal? He should resign or be thrown out of office simply because his judgment is so bad. He is not fit to make significant decisions.

Who knows what else we will hear about over the next few days — North Carolinians have learned recently that when it comes to wrongdoing and politics, when it rains, it pours.

But as we wait for the next step, we should remember the days of honorable public service, and wonder if they are ever going to come back again.

Published in Editorials on March 11, 2008 11:15 AM