Why do we expect less from our elected officials than we we each other?

Published on 2/2/99 The Daily Egyptian (SIUC)

There's history in the making, right before our eyes, and I wonder how many of us are really watching. I have to confess, not me! I've checked out some of the impeachment proceedings, and frankly it's slightly less exciting than watching golf on TV. I feel a bit guilty about skipping it all, but I just can't bring myself to watch. It's not going to happen, anyway. Senators are politicians, and no matter what they say, I believe more than a few of them are paying close attention to the polls. The polls say Americans want Clinton in the White House, and that's likely to be what we get. And it's what we deserve.

A friend of mine used to say, "You pays your money and you takes your chances." I doubt that witticism was original, but it fits. Perhaps better, or at least more accurate, would be caveat emptor, "Let the buyer beware." America bought a defective president; America should keep him.

How many people can really express shock or dismay at the goings-on in the Oval Office? We knew before the first election that the man couldn't be trusted, that he was prone to bend the truth, and we voted him in anyway. Not once, but twice.

Remember Gennifer Flowers? A little indiscretion on the part of Mr. Clinton before he became president. We knew about it, it was in all the news. He tried to duck and dodge that particular political bullet, and in the end, when Hillary forgave him, so did we. But there you have it; he'd already shown he had a character flaw that would allow him to jump a fence and play in someone else's sandbox. So he did it again. Why should that surprise us?

There's the issue of his one time encounter with marijuana. He smoked a joint. He was called on it, tried to slip the issue, and when pressed, finally said those now famous words: "I didn't inhale." Didn't inhale? I wonder, were I to get caught with a joint, what's the chances a cop or a judge would let me go if I assured them that since I didn't inhale, I couldn't truly be accused of illicit drug use. I doubt they'd buy it. But apparently we did. After all, we sent him to Washington to fight the war on drugs. And since we bought his lame pot rationalization of "I didn't inhale," why shouldn't we equally accept his lame assertion that because he didn't have intercourse, he can say he did not have sexual relations with Ms. Lewinsky. We let him twist the truth then, and we're going to let him do it now.

His "creative" ducking of military service was unlikely to impress most folks, as the draft never was very popular, and heck, that was a long time ago. Those that answered the call may hold a different opinion, as do most of those who wear the uniform now. The basic fact that the voters overlooked is that unethical behavior is unethical behavior . Especially in our elected leaders, we should be looking for a higher standard. But heck, we let it slide then, and the polls say we're willing to let his most recent shenanigans slide now.

Repeatedly, in his two bids for the Presidency, we overlooked the facts that clearly demonstrated his honesty and integrity was lacking, that his personal code of ethics and accountability were questionable. It was exposed, reported, cussed and discussed. We can't claim ignorance; we can't say we never would have expected this most recent national embarrassment out of a man who has shown he values his own pleasures and desires over the prestige of whatever office he holds.

And now some want to impeach him? No way! The American public bought the liar, and they want to keep him, lies and all.

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