Sanford And Sin
The late night comedians are having a field day over the Mark Sanford affair. As well they should. It's quite a story. No matter how often these things come out, there seem to be an unending supply. You'd think politicians would take note, but that's not how it works.
I only hope it doesn't distract us from the bills before Congress now that, if passed, will still be effecting us for decades after Sanford is forgotten.
I know one can always make the "distraction" argument, but it applies especially well now. First, the bills I'm talking about are far more significant that what we usually see. Second, those who support them have what may be a once-in-a-lifetime (or at least once-in-a-generation) chance to get them passed. Third, it's likely the only way to change or stop these bills is if the public is sufficiently troubled to make their concerns known.
Governor Sanford has long been a crusader for fiscal responsibility (which is a set-up to a joke that writes itself). It'd be a shame if his dalliance offered an opening for everything he's spent his career fighting against.
posted by LAGuy @ 12:23 AM
6 Comments:
Interesting that anti-Wall Street crusader Spitzer fell in a sex scandal right before Wall Street imploded.
The constant hammering in the press of Sanford (as "unfaithful"- a charged word with broader meaning) will affect his credibility and indirectly the credibility of his positions. Of course happening on the heels of Senator Ensign's difficulties will only intensify this.
The same thing happened with Spitzer and Clinton (though Clinton was fortunate in his enemies and could claim the no impeachment vote as a victory of sorts).
On a side issue, I'm not the sure the damage to a politician comes from the public's distaste for adultery (its not admirable but a not uncommon occurrence in modern society) as much as the press coverage clouding out everything else and the constant barrage of information and underlying assumption of grave serious moral failure ("well if they're talking about this, there must be something to it") sort of the same way we treated nanny tax issues.
On the issue of the major legislation before Congress right now, I agree, the health care bill will cause a fundamental change in the US, one that will be very difficult to undo if it passes. It will be like Social Security, becoming a permanent institution at least until it collapses under its own weight.
The Cap & Trade bill, on the other hand, will not be to difficult to undo if, as I suspect, temperatures have not risen significantly (along with sea levels) in 5 or 10 years. If the evidence of dangerous, man-caused global warming continues to be projections unsubstantiated by any actual effects in the daily lives of citizens, peopel will tire of the increased expenses and intrusions into their personal life-style choices. A future President will probably be able to undo Cap & Trade by a flick of the pen, just like President Obama ordered the close of Gitmo.
Sanford is all about the economy. Spitzer went after people for crimes which he was committing.
Also, Clinton wasn't "fortunate in his enemies," he was fortunate that the economy was doing well, and he was fortunate that the press liked him and were willing to attack his enemies at every turn.
"The Cap & Trade bill, on the other hand, will not be too difficult to undo if, as I suspect, temperatures have not risen significantly (along with sea levels) in 5 or 10 years."
So a decade of energy prices going up 50 to 100%, destroying millions of jobs, in the midst of a serious recession, is no big deal to you?
Furthermore, the media will support the greening of America, and anyone who goes against it will be considered public enemy number one. None of this should actually be tied into world temperature, but there's a reasonable chance that will rise in the next decade. If it doesn't, there's a 100% chance environmentalists will have some explanation.
Finally, this is a law being passed. It will require a majority of the Congress to reverse it, and that won't be easy.
Didn't mean to suggest that Cap & Trade won't be a tremendous waste of time, capital & resources. But the gov't wastes tons of money all the time. My point is just that the policy will be reversable because, unlike health care, it won't create a massive class of people (voters) dependent on the program.
If there is no discernable negative climate change in the next 5 to 10 years, a future Congress and president will letthe policy die either by benign neglect or actual repeal. It will enter into history as another well intended but wrong-headed political movement (like prohibition).
Governor Sanford has long been a crusader for fiscal responsibility (which is a set-up to a joke that writes itself).
The best line I've heard about this and Ensign came from a fiscal responsibility type who said that it proved beyond a doubt that being fiscally responsible was obviously a very sexually attractive quality.
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