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November 23, 2004

Republican Moral Values

By Byron LaMasters

Read Ronnie Earle's Op-Ed in the New York Times today:

Politicians in Congress are responsible for the leaders they choose. Their choices reflect their moral values.

Every law enforcement officer depends on the moral values and integrity of society for backup; they are like body armor. The cynical destruction of moral values at the top makes it hard for law enforcement to do its job.

In terms of moral values, this is where the rubber meets the road. The rules you apply to yourself are the true test of your moral values.

The thinly veiled personal attacks on me by Mr. DeLay's supporters in this case are no different from those in the cases of any of the 15 elected officials this office has prosecuted in my 27-year tenure. Most of these officials - 12 Democrats and three Republicans - have accused me of having political motives. What else are they going to say?

For most of my tenure the Democrats held the power in state government. Now Republicans do. Most crimes by elected officials involve the abuse of power; you have to have power before you can abuse it.

There is no limit to what you can do if you have the power to change the rules. Congress may make its own rules, but the public makes the rule of law, and depends for its peace on the enforcement of the law. Hypocrisy at the highest levels of government is toxic to the moral fiber that holds our communities together.

The open contempt for moral values by our elected officials has a corrosive effect. It is a sad day for law enforcement when Congress offers such poor leadership on moral values and ethical behavior. We are a moral people, and the first lesson of democracy is not to hold the public in contempt.


I couldn't say it any better, Ronnie. The moral values of a political party ought to be embodied by the men and women its members choose as their leaders. House Republicans choose to be led by Tom DeLay. If they choose to be led by a man who has a felony indictment, that will say a lot about their moral values.

Posted by Byron LaMasters at November 23, 2004 09:22 PM | TrackBack


Comments

If the choices of leaders reflects the moral values of congressmen - which it does - what does it mean when the entire democratic leadership walks over the White House to stand beside the impeached Bill Clinton who obstructed justice, commited perjury and was subsequently disbarred for these very offenses?

Posted by: Bill at November 23, 2004 11:25 PM

The impoeachmenty fiasco shows much more about the moral failings of the forces behind the impeachment than the person ipeached. Historians have universally condemned the "Radical Republicans" who impeached Andrew Johnson as being motivated by partisan interests and not the legitimate goals of preserving the Republic in the face of an act against the State. Ditto for the "Radical Republicans" who impeached Clinton.

The Clinton impeachment speaks volumes more about those that chose to violate our constitutional form of government with a coup in the name of preserving the constutional order. The matter at hand was a personal concern of the parties involved, not a national concern.

Posted by: WhoMe? at November 23, 2004 11:58 PM

If the choices of leaders reflects the moral values of congressmen - which it does - what does it mean when the entire democratic leadership walks over the White House to stand beside the impeached Bill Clinton who obstructed justice, commited perjury and was subsequently disbarred for these very offenses?

Well, it says something about them.

The more important question is this: Why is what went on during the impeachment proceedings against Bill Clinton relevant to Ronnie Earle's investigation into DeLay's corruption?

Answer: It makes a catchy anecdote but it doesn't make DeLay or the members of the Republican House Caucus who laid down for him any less culpable in vetting illegal behavior for their leadership.

Wow. Republicans really will try to wave the Clinton Cape in front of your face over anything, won't they?

So your point is Tom DeLay is no better than Bill Clinton?

Posted by: Patrick at November 24, 2004 01:54 PM

My point is only that forced resignations or other serious consequences should not follow indictment, but only conviction. And now, of course, we know that Delay was not even indicted.

Clinton did indeed undermine the course of justice, and while he was not convicted - for strictly political reasons - he was subsequently disbarred, for having committed perjury and obstructing justice.

The "Delay Rule" will serve to thwart politically motivated prosecutions of officeholders in either party, as there will be no consequence unless the individual is actually convicted. This is as it should be.

Posted by: Bill at November 24, 2004 08:25 PM
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