May 24, 2018

Government corruption and the destruction of a great man

It is easy to corrupt the greedy man. It is another to corrupt a heroic man. Yet within each of us lurks a dark corner that, unless we implore God to shine His light into it, can corrupt us.

If anyone doubts this, consider the tragic story of Randall "Duke" Cunningham.

For those who may not know enough about him, here is an excerpt from Wikipedia:

Cunningham was an officer and pilot in the U.S. Navy for 20 years. Cunningham and Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) William P. "Irish" Driscoll, working as a flight crew, became the only navy flying aces of the Vietnam War. He was one of the most highly decorated United States Navy pilots in the Vietnam War, receiving the Navy Cross once, the Silver Star twice, the Air Medal 15 times, and the Purple Heart.

Following the war, Cunningham became an instructor at the U.S. Navy's Fighter Weapons School, better known as TOPGUN[.]

In his final air combat, Cunningham killed perhaps North Viet Nam's most skillful and accomplished ace, in a dogfight that has become part of fighter pilot lore.

Would that Duke's story ended there, and with retirement, with his well deserved accolades. But instead, it ends in dishonor. Again, quoting from Wikipedia:

He [Cunningham] served as [a Republican] member of the United States House of Representatives from California's 50th Congressional District from 1991 to 2005. He resigned in 2005, after having pleaded guilty to bribery, fraud, and tax evasion.

One of Cunningham's final public statements before entering prison was this:

"When I announced several months ago that I would not seek re-election, I publicly declared my innocence because I was not strong enough to face the truth. So, I misled my family, staff, friends, colleagues, the public – even myself. For all of this, I am deeply sorry. The truth is – I broke the law, concealed my conduct, and disgraced my high office. I know that I will forfeit my freedom, my reputation, my worldly possessions, and most importantly, the trust of my friends and family. ... In my life, I have known great joy and great sorrow. And now I know great shame. I learned in Viet Nam that the true measure of a man is how he responds to adversity. I cannot undo what I have done. But I can atone. I am now almost 65 years old and, as I enter the twilight of my life, I intend to use the remaining time that God grants me to make amends."

Unlike so many other corrupt politicians, at least Cunningham did not persist in his denials. This fact does not diminish his crimes, but it does give us a hint as to the immense power that "the swamp" has over even those who are, at heart, brave, decent American citizens. As Sarah Palin noted, Washington, D.C. is largely populated by people who entered it with average wealth and who soon become excessively wealthy, without having achievements commensurate with that increase in net worth.

There can be no excuse for corruption, no matter the merits of the man. What is needed is for the example of Duke Cunningham to be used for good. The public must recognize that. No matter whom we elect to govern us, we must maintain constant and intrusive oversight. We must recognize that the power, the allure, the seduction that operates in government at all levels is a force of the universe, as powerful as gravity, and as destructive as any disease.

Imagine how much worse it is when we elect those who are, at heart, already dishonest. As it has been said, the price of liberty is eternal vigilance. It follows, then, that the price of neglect is the loss of liberty – or worse.

Congress will not do this. We must.

https://www.americanthinker.co..._of_a_great_man.html

quote:

As it has been said, the price of liberty is eternal vigilance. It follows, then, that the price of neglect is the loss of liberty – or worse.

It amazes and disgusts me how apathetic voters are. They have always been able to see, so it never dawns on them to be thankful for their sight. Likewise, they've always enjoyed freedom, so it never dawns on them how precious that is, either.

Your title would be more correct if it simply lifted a sentence in the article.

"There can be no excuse for corruption, no matter the merits of the man."

Cunningham was a heck of a Naval Aviator who betrayed that legacy, his oath as a Naval officer, and his oath as a member of Congress. Cunningham was not a victim, he was a volunteer who did this all for money and the illusion of power.

This is why we need term limits on all elected officials.

At the federal level:

POTUS and VPOTUS: Two 4-year terms.
Senate: One 8-year term.
House: Four 2-year terms.
Executive branch appointees confirmed by Senate: No more than 10 years in a confirmed position.
Executive branch appointments not confirmed by Senate: No more than 10 years in an unconfirmed position.
Judiciary: One 20-year term.

quote:

This is why we need term limits on all elected officials.

That's why I posted this.
Even good men can be corrupted by the allure of power and wealth that can come from living in our Imperial City, Washington, DC.

To paraphrase Mark twain, "politicians are like diapers ... they must be changed often and for the same reason."

It’s not just living in the Imperial City.

There is a huge ongoing scandal involving a bunch of senior Navy officers who dealt with “Fat Leonard” who contracted for shore services for Mavy ships in WestPac. Lots of Rolex, champagne, cognac, flowers, prostitutes, shopping sprees, etc.

You would think these guys would know better.

You would think Randy Cunningham would have known better. I was real disappointed in Randy. I spent some time and some trouble cultivating a relationship of sorts with him, back when I thought it might be good to be a fat cat, invited to fancy dinners, feted, wined and dined, your phone calls returned, maybe an Ambassadorship to look forward to for those who prosper in this game.

As it turned out, I didn’t like it, at least at the stage of being a kind of pudgy cat. Apparently, I’m allergic to hypocrisy and sanctimony.