New York Times Columnist David Brooks Couldn’t Care Less Whether Some of Our Leaders are Ethical or Moral

I waste enough time reading the headlines of the WSJ and NYT, and their Op-Ed columnists, but it looks like I’ll be wasting less time from now on, as I’m disgusted with the latest banter between David Brooks and Gail Collins.  Here are just a couple of excerpts from today’s column:

David Brooks: 

I don’t know about you, but my first impression upon returning from abroad is usually a sense of humiliation. I flew through the magnificent airports at Beijing and Hong Kong to land in the dump that is Kennedy International in New York.

Several years ago I moderated a panel with Dan Rostenkowski and Bob Packwood. It was one of those “Not Indicted, Not Invited” affairs. They were brilliant. Rosty, who fell victim to a minor financial scandal, and Packwood, who fell victim to a creepier sexual scandal, were superb legislators. Their descriptions of how legislation gets passed were subtle, intelligent and wise. We are much worse off as a nation not having people like that in high office. Yet they fell victim to scandal-mongers.

So no, I don’t think we should follow The National Enquirer into that swamp. But to be honest, I don’t think we should follow them into that swamp even if the candidate is still in the running. A quick word from some party elders would be my solution to this sort of sinfulness.

At least Gail Collins, a columnist whose views I don’t typically agree with, has the sense to disagree with Mr. Brooks:

I’m not willing to extend a free pass to important lawmakers, let alone presidential candidates, under the theory that the party leadership will keep them in line. The party leadership can’t even get them to show up for lunch if they don’t feel like it. And I’m not sure that moral lapses are irrelevant to political performance. If they are, voters are generally prepared to forgive and move on — although often the humiliation or some shunning from his peers sends the offender packing anyway.

Here’s how I responded to the banter between Collins and Brooks:

More evidence that at least one Times columnist is seriously out of touch with what I still hope are mainstream values and mores in this country.

First, John Edwards cheating on his wife is inexcusable, especially for a politician supposedly concerned with the weak and helpless.  How much more down and out can you be if you’re battling incurable cancer, or if you are child.

Second, saying we need sophisticated legislators like Rostenkowski or Packwood is another indication that Brooks has been drinking the Beltway Kool-Aid for too long.  Arguing that such losers make the best legislation makes me believe that term limits are necessary to circumscribe the inevitable “absolute power corrupts….”

Third, I agree that our public infrastructure, including many of our airports, is hideous, but I’d rather have freedom and bad roads than empty new highways and elderly ladies sent to reeducation camps, as is reported in today’s Times.

Aneil Mishra, Ph.D.
www.totaltrust.wordpress.com

Aneil