Judgment and Lack Thereof

Long ago in a galaxy far, far away I was filled with the idealism of middle age and bored with semi-retirement. I became a political activist and led a neighborhood group opposing a second set of 230 Kv electrical power distribution towers down the easement through our neighborhood. The long range plan envisioned a third set of towers for the route making it the most concentrated network of high-rise power poles in the state of Colorado. We fought and we won. The line and all future distribution lines within the City of Colorado Springs went underground.

The involvement got me into partisan politics and led to a foolish run for the state legislature. The retiring incumbent was a retired AF F-4 driver and a good friend who supported me. The opposition was a religious right party favorite with a cute wife, three little girls and a background as a boiler room telemarketer. He had been the representative district chairman for three years and had a firm grasp on the precinct chairs and the leverage to control the party caucus which would select the nominee.

The entire campaign was a disappointment to me. I had good support and raised a reasonable campaign fund from business leaders but got undermined by some moles in my campaign staff and some mis-characterizations that got distributed without time to remedy before voting. Not being a member of the evangelical community and not being able to simplify my positions on complex issues left me as too "liberal" for the delegates who would be casting the deciding votes. I hadn't learned that voters can only comprehend one word answers.

He got the nomination after touting his "experience", my lack of background in management or leadership roles (!) and his strong family values. He went to Denver where he adopted leather suspenders, tailored double-breasted suits and a second generation cell-phone. He was a natural. He rose to leadership positions and by his second term got chosen as Speaker of the House. He was on the fast track to state senate and very probably US Representative.

Then he showed up on the front page of the Denver Post. He'd been arrested the night before for breaking and entering and domestic abuse. He had been caught prying off the window screen and invading the house of a female lobbyist. She had been his mistress, but had thrown him out the night before. He had left his wife and three little girls and quite literally "gotten in bed with a lobbyist."

The reason for the invasion? He was seeking to retrieve his cell phone charger! Yep, a ten buck Radio Shack gadget could have kept him in good graces. The lobbyist chased him down Colfax avenue at 2:00 AM with a screwdriver. That's when he was arrested.

There seems to be something about public office that attracts folks with marginal or zero judgment. Like this:

Fun, Witty and Won't Disappoint

Seriously! If you are smart enough to serve as a representative of more than 800,000 citizens can't you figure out that posting such drivel is going to come to light pretty quickly? Is this self-destructive compulsion? I've been to Washington and there are certainly enough secretaries, lobbyists, clerks, bureaucrats and groupies that seek to shack up with a Congress-critter that you don't need to be posting buff body pictures on Craigslist.