Posted by
Bob Siegel on Thursday, June 25, 2009 6:35:34 PM
Once again, a politician has confessed to having an affair. Once again,
it was a Republican. Not that Democrats don't betray spouses as
well. It's just that, for the most part, they experience very little
consequence for their own sins. This time, the guilty man is Governor Mark Sanford
of North Carolina, famous in the news lately for refusing Obama's
stimulus package, out of justifiable concern that the federal
government would start controlling his state the way it has controlled
so many other bailed out entities. I admired Sanford's battle and that's why
I am so disappointed about the distraction. Now, an otherwise brave
governor with a lifetime record of distinguished service will be
remembered for a mistake, a mistake he confessed far more quickly than so many other public leaders.
Our salivating media delights in sharing Sanford's personal E Mails. Why? What purpose do they serve if the man has already confessed? Had he lied and some investigative journalism then uncovered a few incriminating E Mails, that would be another matter altogether. But right now, this is not about journalism. It's about ratings and sensationalism.
I am also bothered that Sanford will trump far
more important news, such as; North Korea, Iran, the current Hate
Crimes Bill, the current Cap and Trade Bill, and other legal travesties being
gently shoved down our naive, unsuspecting throats while the country is
literally pacified by a new sexual escapade. Have you seen the gleam in
Greta Van Susteren's eyes? Now, Greta has a theme again, something to
give her as much mileage as Anna Nicole, Scott Peterson and Natalie
Holloway. Lately, the red meat that feeds her panel of talking
heads has been limited to unsensational events. You know...The kind of
stuff that actually affects the whole world. Do you remember an incident
which dominated our 24 hour news networks in the weeks leading up to
9/11? The disappearance of Washington intern, Chandra Levy. Naturally, for
her parents, this was the only important subject, but people disappear
all the time and Chandra Levy saturated our news only because
Congressman Gary Condit was alleged to have something to do with her invisibility. It put our country in a trance. Then 9/11 hit. Another 9/11 could
come at the drop of a hat. World events are boiling like a pressure
cooker and it is only a matter of time before something erupts. Will we
be wasting our efforts talking about marital affairs?
Please understand: As a Christian, I do not take the subject of infidelity lightly. But a little perspective is in order here.
1) When we expect public figures to be perfect, they develop Messianic
complexes and lead us in the direction of disaster. One can look up to a man without believing he can fly. Abe Lincoln is a perfect example and his words are also appropriate right now: "I never trusted a man who had no vices."
2) History has proven that a leader's sexual life and his ability to guide
the country are not necessarily locked together. Both John Kennedy and Franklin
Roosevelt had affairs. If you think I am bringing this up only to
justify the actions of a Republican governor, I remind you that I listed
two Democratic presidents whom I admire. I also remind you that I,
myself, am still a registered Democrat even though it has been a long time
since I have found anything to like about the Democratic Party.
3) The term hypocrite comes up a lot when sex scandals hit politicians
and this warrants some clarification. Paul Bagola and many other
liberal pundits lost no time spewing forth the tired, anticipated
talking points: "Sure Democratic politicians also have affairs but it's
different for Republicans. They are the ones always claiming to have
superior family values.This makes them such hypocrites. Look at the way
they went after Bill Clinton."
I find these editorials to be very disingenuous for several reasons:
A) There is a difference between voting for family friendly legislation
and claiming to be personally superior where family values are
concerned. My own marriage ended in divorce. That does not change my view of marriage. I still believe traditional marriage is good for the country and when I see people happily married, I am grateful. How much more should a public leader, who was given the sacred trust of caring for our country, protect family values despite the condition of his own family? Conversely, if a politician's voting record shipwrecks America, his having a good marriage would offer little consolation.
B) Republicans sought to remove Clinton from office, not because of an
affair, but because of lying under oath. They were not "obsessed with sex." That evaluation is
liberal spin.
C) In every election, Democrats run against Republicans by crying, "We stand for family values too! How dare those self righteous Republicans claim to have a
monopoly on family values?" Remember? Well, OK then: If that is the case, Democrats and Republicans alike ascribe to family values. Democrats cannot be judged differently on the
basis that they do not hold themselves up to quite the same standard as
those "hypocritical Republicans."
D) People operate out of a false definition of hypocrisy. Christianity, one large chunk of Conservatism, is perhaps the most misunderstood religion in the history of planet Earth. Judgment and condemnation are not the themes of Jesus. Forgiveness and mercy are. Failing to live up to a standard does not translate into hypocrisy. Hypocrites were described by Jesus as people who denied their own sinfulness but ascribed sinfulness to others. A true hypocrite is a person who changes his standard only when a new definition is convenient. If I say it's wrong for you to have an affair but OK to have one myself, due to some kind of extenuating circumstances, that would be hypocrisy. Likewise, (ironically) holding Republicans to one measuring rod and Democrats to another, is hypocrisy.
Senator John Edwards was not only discovered having an affair, but
using public campaign funds to pay off the woman. Our mainstream media
virtually left this story alone. Even when facts started surfacing, it
took the National Enquirer, of all papers, to get to the bottom of
things. Congressman Barney Frank was involved in a brothel that
featured male prostitution.
That's not an affair. That's just downright criminal!
The man still holds office. Even so, my only concern about seeing such a
clown in Washington, is that he and fellow Democrats torpedoed our
economy with organizations like Fanny Mae and then figured out how to blame
it all on George Bush in an attempt to cover their tracks.
In both cases, (Edwards and Frank) the mainstream media backed off. What did the two men have in common? They were both Democrats.
CONCLUSION: Should it be discovered that Governor Sanford broke the law, I will be the first to say he must go, as I believed Clinton should have left office (not because of Monica, but because of perjury) Until that time, let's be clear: Neither Republican nor Democratic politicians have had much to brag about in the morality department lately. But then, they are human beings. Maybe if we allowed them to be flawed, we would ask less of their private lives and more of their public lives. Right now, our politicians are selling America down the river and virtually inviting our enemies to attack us again. This concerns me a little bit more than a quick trip to Argentina.
APPENDIX: I just now heard the news of Michael Jackson's death and I am saddened for him and his family. I am also saddened for other reasons: Now our media will have two stories to sensationalize instead of one, all the while ignoring about 10 important events.
Also by Bob Siegel:
You're Wrong. Even With This, He Could Come Up Smelling Like A Rose!