C’MON MAN

 I finished my blog before several showings of my property.   I was in the midst of copying it to my website when inexplicably --- I erased it!!! The above picture is the appropriate reflection of my feelings at that moment.  It is also an appropriate representation of how I felt after watching the “WWE” event which was posing as a “Presidential Debate”.  That TV event was a fair representation of the disrespect our leaders have for the American people and for the truth.  Further distressing is our country’s comfort with lying.  The “Liar in Chief” has told an estimated 20,000 falsehoods and that number, like Covid deaths, is undoubtedly low.  Trump, McConnell, Graham, McCarthy, Cruz, Cotton --- I can go on and on--are people who have lost their association with the truth.  Their moral compass no longer functions.  They are, indeed, empty suits; in capable of leading.  Perhaps they are a true, but sad, reflection of where we are as a nation.  These profligate liars have debased our institutions and rendered trust irrelevant in the national discourse.  Our tribalism has grown to the detriment of our country and standing in the world.  Who could trust a nation that cannot keep their agreements?  When did winning become the only credible outcome?  Why is --- “well they do it” an acceptable rejoinder to the complaint?  We behave as if winning were the only thing worth fighting for.  Fighting for the truth is now old fashion and unrecognizable. 

Why would anyone want to be a public figure? Perhaps it is the following:

Salary: 75,000-223,000 depending on seniority and position

Honorarium 27,000

Allowances: Parking, gym, furniture, travel,

Office allowances:  1-5million depending on House or Senate

Employee Compensation – 175,000 per

Full health care/ Pension after 5 yrs

That is just the basics of what a Congressperson and Senator can earn if elected.  Truly none of the people sitting in those seats could get a job outside of government that provides such lucrative compensation.

Beyond distressing is the fact that these jobs are without consequence when it comes to lying and inappropriate governance.  Think about your job or your behavior within your community and ask yourself if you would be allowed to behave as our elected leaders.  Their ability to compartmentalize their transgressions in order to live in their own skin is nothing short of remarkable. The Republican leadership in the White House and Senate have failed in so many ways but at the core is their inability to adhere to the most basic principle of leadership --- Honesty.

I put my head in my hands and cry.