A Question Of Ethics - November 2006

What is the similarity between Democratic Senate Leader Harry Reid, his secret $1 million land deal, his questionable use of campaign money to pay holiday bonuses for staff at his personal condo, and the liberal press?

Or between Democratic Congressman William Jefferson, $90,000 in cash found wrapped in his freezer, and the liberal press?

Or Democratic Congressman Allan Mollohan, $ 200 million in federal pork spending earmarked to his campaign contributors’ organizations, and the liberal press?

The similarity is that all of these stories had a very short shelf life in the liberal press.

Now compare the limited coverage for the above ethical lapses with the amount of ink and airtime spent on the fallout from former Congressman Foley’s sexually provocative emails to pages. Or on former Congressman Tom Delay’s fund raising efforts. Or on Vice-President Cheney’s former staffer “Scooter” Libby who was allegedly involved in the naming of CIA employee Valerie Plame Wilson.

It is interesting to note that each of the Republicans is a “former” government employee while each of the Democrats cited are still in office!

This fact is oddly similar to the comparison of Republicans forcing President Nixon to resign for his attempts to cover-up a typical campaign dirty trick while the Democrats let President Clinton stay in office for lying under oath regardless of what he was trying to cover-up.

Why do the Democrats usually look the other way when one of their own allegedly breaks the law? And why do the Republicans do a better job of self-policing their ranks? Could it be that the liberal press keeps Republican lapses in the news longer to fester in the public mind?

Of course ethical failures are not limited to national politics.

A Hollywood City Commissioner was recently suspended from office after being charged with 5 felony counts for his alleged behind the scenes involvement in a contract for sewage treatment services for the city. And of course, there was the Town of Davie’s former Administrator who was fired after being charged with allegedly stealing $500,000 from the town’s coffers.

And then there are the Cities of Hialeah and Miami, and Miami-Dade County! Many a Miami Herald writer have established their careers by doing little more than just waiting to cover the various politicians who were corrupted while serving as elected officials in those local governments. One columnist’s career actually ended earlier this year when he withheld information about a politician who killed himself after being hounded by the press for alleged sexual and financial transgressions.

So why do so many politicians get caught in ethical lapses? Have the temptations for easy money and unchecked power become just too great to turn down? Has the divisiveness of partisan politics scared away decent and honest people from running for office? Or are politicians simply reflective of a dark side of society now affecting the business world and everyday life?

When I ran for a State Senate seat some years ago, I quickly learned of the reality of influence brokering as I campaigned. Several entrenched politicians from both political parties worked together to limit my access to potential campaign funds and organized support. Other special interest groups were afraid of losing influence with my opponent if they outwardly supported my efforts despite their discontent with her.

As I have watched other people I know run in more competitive local and state races than was mine, the behind the scenes shenanigans have been even more notable and challenging. I have concluded that it is just human nature and economic self-interest for politicians and their supporters to work together to win elections and share in the spoils of victory.

I find nothing wrong with that as long as nobody crosses that implied or legal ethical line. All we can hope is that the government investigators, opposing politicians, and the press continue to expose those politicians who misuse our trust. Now if the liberal press could only be as hard on the national Democrats as they are on Republicans.