Lessons from a scandal

Some quick lessons from the arrest of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich:

Scandals are not partisan. Although a good many Democrats ran for office this year promising to clean up after scandal-ridden Republicans, Blagojevich is a strong argument as to how power can corrupt donkeys as well as elephants.

If a politician defiantly invites reporters to record his conversations or to follow him around, don't bet on his innocence. Blagojevich apparently never studied the collapse of a Democrat from an earlier era, Gary Hart. "Follow me around. I don't care," Hart told reporters who questioned whether he was having an extramarital affair. They did. He was.

The United States is a great nation.

If that last one seems a bit odd, consider this: Blagojevich was the powerful chief executive of one of the largest states in the union. And yet federal officers marched him away from his home in handcuffs during early morning hours, just as if he were any other common, and unpowerful, person being filmed by the television show "Cops."

American history is filled with a generous share of scoundrels, but the overall lesson is that none of these was above the law, and that includes presidents. The same can be said of other nations with free governments and independent court systems. But in too many nations, the thought of a leader being carried away by police, without some sort of political coup involved, is unthinkable.

That isn't to say many people in power haven't gotten away with a bunch of bad stuff. But politicians certainly must be aware that they can be caught, convicted and thrown in prison. In Illinois alone, about 20 percent of governors over the last century were either indicted or convicted of felonies. The fact that they keep trying may argue against convictions as a form of deterrent, but the convictions are evidence that taking advantage of the people in this country comes with a stiff price.

Of course, there are plenty of things to lament in the case of Blagojevich. Prosecutors brought forth charges and evidence that painted the picture of a brazen, foul-mouthed and tyrannically corrupt leader. Some are speculating he may be refusing to resign because he wants to use his office as a bargaining chip for lenient treatment, or because he wants to appoint President-elect Barack Obama's replacement in the Senate regardless of the charges. And if Illinois lawmakers pass a bill to keep him from doing so, he could sit on it while he does what he wants anyway.

It's a maddening chess game, except that everyone knows the outcome. One way or another, Blagojevich will no longer be governor.