Some have. Vitter in LA with the prostitution scandal will survive, and it has almost completely dropped off the radar screen.
"The difference is that we have standards."
As we should. Though the problem with standards is that we've almost reached the point of expecting our people to be without any sin, an almost impossible task (especially given the field that they are in). I don't want to look like I'm defending bad behavior, but only that sometimes people make serious mistakes. The question is whether they are of a nature that the person can be forgiven, or whether it reaches the level that the person places our party and our nation at risk. Simply put, they shouldn't lie and deny, as Craig did to an embarrassing degree yesterday. Craig is now a serious liability and needs to go.
"The key for me is that anyone hiding something can be pressured/blackmailed into voting for the wrong bill lest the secret be revealed."
Exactly. Who is to say that Craig's pro-shamnesty stance wasn't a result of political blackmail ? Ditto that of Graham in SC (whom is also suspected of having similar predilictions).
"If they cannot behave, they cannot be trusted. I won’t vote for them."
Especially when they lie to our faces.
It would seem that we agree for the most part.
I just won’t cut them any slack when it comes to their behavior. Picking up a prostitute or having sex with another man in a men’s room is not a ‘mistake’. It is a deliberate choice. At a minimum, it shows a horrible failure to use good judgment precisely when we are paying them for their good judgment.
Their particular elected position does not confer any special rights or immunities upon them. Who do they think they are — sports stars and Hollywood celebrities?
Stars and celebrities are only accountable at the box office and rarely pay a price. Pols are accountable at the ballot box and must be held to a high standard because they are not there to provide entertainment (although we do laugh at them quite a bit). They are charged with a serious business that impacts the lives of millions of people.
They should be above reproach and avoid even the appearance of impropriety. Many have done so and didn’t find it to be an imposition. We need to raise the standard, not lower it.