I, like many others, can never get enough Weiner

[pastorlenny.livejournal.com]

Anthony Weiner is just another garden-variety scumbag with absolutely no personal integrity.

The question I would like to ask is whether we should really care about this?  That is, given the choice, would we rather have people in government who are garden-variety scumbags -- but who advocate for policies that we believe optimally serve the interests of the citizenry -- or people who have high moral character, but are incompetent at governing and/or are completely wrong-headed when it comes to public policy?

My own sense is that I'd rather have someone skim half a million from the public coffers and make decisions that save us billions than someone who is squeaky clean -- but whose incompetence undermines justice and prudence.
 

Comments

[pastorlenny.livejournal.com]

people make irrational decisions when put under media spotlight

Aren't politicians put under the media spotlight as a matter of course?

i don't think he did anything wrong

So because lying repeatedly to the general public is not illegal and something for which we can understand the motivation, it is no longer in any way wrong?

[pastorlenny.livejournal.com]

politicians lie constantly. it's essentially in the job criteria. if you don't want a government that lies to the public, then you should not have a government.

Interesting.

[a-new-machine.livejournal.com]

he cheated on his wife (legal)
Not necessarily... (http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1997-07-11/news/9707110143_1_adultery-attorney-public-defender)

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

if you don't want a government that lies to the public, then you should not have a government.

I can live with that.