Corrupt? Congress?

I am shocked -- SHOCKED I tell you -- that we have persons of ill repute in Washington, DC.

Will "Duke" Cunningham really be missed? Probably not. But I will miss his relative intractability on the Drug War front while having a son who is a clear casualty of that conflict (marijuana prohibition in particular).

Weren't some of us taught as schoolchildren that government is virtuous because it is the collective embodiment of those dedicated to public service? Or was that the line I was fed about the Catholic Church as a schoolboy? More than anything, both institutions seem to be populated by "upper management" who has a penchant for luxurious living.

There is no hesitation within the political class in granting itself the imprimatur of the divine or making an ostentatious display of their religiosity. If anything, religion provides politicians with currency to court both votes and public sympathy when needed.

Speaking of "morality" in the public sphere, I'm still amazed that people scoffed at the mention of Jerry Springer going to DC in some capacity. Look at what he deals with on a routine basis: dullards, drunks and the sexually frustrated (ideally, all three combined). In short, enough to make former Congressman Ed Schrock shoot his wad.

What distinguishes the ordinary transvestite, stripper, horse-lover, infantilist, whoremonger, transsexual or dominatrix is that none of them routinely exercise brutal power over the persons and property of others under the banner of the "public interest."

To quote another famous Congressional felon (who I actually miss), "Beam me up, Mr. Speaker!"