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I think we hate being shown that our political heroes have warts. It takes a great deal of personal courage to set oneself up as a paragon of virtue, as Mr. Bennett has so publicly done, because any misdeed - particularly what might be considered a moral failure, is bound to be amplified 100-fold. And there are underlying reasons.

1. Even a good many conservatives hate moralists. They despise people like Bennett or James Dobson or Dr. Laura who try to inspire others to do good things, particularly for reasons based on religion. Rather than acknowledge their own failures, people (and not just liberals) enjoy seeing others knocked down who hold out a higher standard than they, themselves, are willing to achieve.

2. In a political arena, even friends become foes during primary season or when trying to get closer to power. I have a great deal of respect, for example, for Dr. Alan Keyes. But, in the heat of a presidential primary, several Bush allies were willing to trash Dr. Keyes and Keyes, for his part, was willing to trash Bush. Particularly when one postures as the "true conservative" in a candidate forum, expect the knives to come out even when they agree on at least 80% of the issues.

3. Some just like the drama of watching famous people fall from grace. What Bob Beckel did, having to go public with his prostituion-through-the-internet sting, was no less legal than what Bennett has been accused of doing and yet many here were gleeful (myself included, to be honest) that Beckel's name was being publicly trashed.

I believe that spiritual darkness works the hardest against those whose morality is most greatly admired. It's not easy to resist temptation - don't let anyone fool you. And, like a vacuum, those who have power attract those who seek to corrupt it. So while I am saddened when people like Bill Bennett or Newt Gingrich fall short of the high moral ground they espouse, I realize that their fight is hard and their temptations are great and it is only human to fail at times. I try to recall all the good they have accomplished rather than let myself dwell on their frailties.

Now, politically, there may be reasons to shun someone who seems to have made themselves a lightning rod for attack. Trent Lott is a good example. What he said was morally forgiveable but it was not politcally forgiveable. He needed to be pushed offstage lest his comments be seen as tarring the entire party.