Politics & Crime Politickin’ With John Brown: When Cheating Politicians Publicly Repent

Not long ago, I defended the ethical weakness of some lawmakers who deviate from their spouse. I argued that it was a personal matter; an expected side-effect of egotistical overachievers; a pimple on the face of otherwise unblemished leadership.

Well, Gov. Mark Sanford’s recent tryst complicates the issue. It’s one thing to duck the press and the wife, but something’s odd when your own staff thinks you’re hiking in the Appalachians on a squirrel and moonshine diet, when, in fact, you’re essentially a sex tourist in Argentina. Not a good look. Like all cheating politicians that get busted, Sanford faced the time-honored tradition of extreme public humiliation via press conference. Although painful to watch, these public displays of grief are necessary tools to heal our wounds of lost trust. Let’s a take a glance back…