The requirements of perfection these days is totally ridiculous. At least if you're a Republican. I like what Bill Bennett says all the time: All saints have a past and all sinners have a future. We do and say things we shouldn't. All of us do. The key is whether or not we mature, change and move on. And then have a future.
The thing with perfection and politics is that it's almost a perfect bar to getting competent people to run the government. Almost a guarantee of mediocrity.