Drunk with Power

ABC News reports today that malfeasance is not limited to Federal office holders, but hold on to your hats, extends into state legislatures. Brian Ross evinced evident shock as he explained that five journalism students had infiltrated a conference for state office holders held in Louisville, Kentucky but with cameras openly displayed to reveal some disturbing antics. ABC may well release similar astounding revelations such as the sky is blue and birds fly in it. Among  ABC's filmed alleged transgressions was that conference participants imbibed Kentucky whiskey as a favored libation. Politicians consuming liquor should be as much of a surprise as finding fish in a koi pond. In my home state of Tennessee, corruption investigations have been fruitful and yielded convictions proving that while neither party is immune from illegal conduct that Democrats seem to be caught for it more often with a three to one ratio over GOP members facing charges in the last cycle of indictments in what was called "Operation Tennessee Waltz" and our only Governor being removed in modern times for corruption being another Democrat Ray Blanton. Tennessee serves as a fair example but Illinois could stand out too with the last Governor Rod Blagojevich (also a Democrat) being banished from office early and convicted on one Federal charge while likely facing retrial on others on which the jury deadlocked. No party has an exclusive lock on ethics nor is either major party immune from corruption which is no rare commodity but has infected the body politic from top to bottom. Selling of office or letting it for a few pieces of silver compromises our Republic to the core. Most everyone figured many politicians were less than scrupulous but when young ABC producers capture our legislators' follies on camera, it is stomach-turning. Those who are elected to represent the people have just enough hubris to think they can get away with almost anything. They will find the next time they stand for reelection may be a sobering experience.