A Deafening Yawn on Corruption

by: Thurman Hart

Mon May 05, 2008 at 10:02:50 AM EDT

But seeing the light late in the day doesn't erase what happened earlier. Corzine should have made it clear that regardless of how he feels about a young staffer, the ethical bar is not adjusted for size or age. Big and little fish are all the same in the eyes of the law.

I never thought or said that Inclan did anything horrendous.  But his actions allowed the horrendous to continue.  I'm not naive enough to think that he'd be where he is today (still in the Governor's office for ten more days) if he hadn't looked away - but if we are going to clean up the sewer, someone has to be the first to start calling a turd a turd.  There are undoubtedly dozens of people in the same position Javier Inclan found himself in Guttenberg a few years ago.  My advice: Call someone.  Call the state AG or the federal attorney.  

Just a word of correction - or maybe illumination - on Doblin's comments.  He writes:

Compare the conviction of former Newark Mayor Sharpe James to Delle Donna. James was a shark, while Delle Donna was a grouper. But for Christie it does not matter. Every fish caught counts.

Back to agreeing with Doblin:

However, Corzine's lack of public indignation remains problematic. There cannot be two ethical standards: one for staffers, who may be very nice people but who nonetheless make a poor judgment call, and another for more street-smart political operatives. Both groups of people should know better. Both groups are adults.

Little fish are eaten by bigger fish. That's Darwinian. Christie continues to drag the bottom feeders out of the water. That's justice.

But a lack of official indignation over an admitted bagman serving as the governor's deputy chief of staff ? that's just a bad fish story.

Now, riddle me this: How do you make the elections enforcement commission more effective?  Cut its budget, of course.  First up to be axed: publicly financed elections.  I just wish that was funny instead of so sad.