The Advice and Consent Process
Upon viewing hours of Senate committee hearings regaling Clarence Thomas and Robert Gates with inquiry into their character and motives, it becomes apparent that what we all suspect is still true. Politics is a dirty business.
Loyalty, not integrity, is the most valued personal attribute in Washington. Thomas and Gates were and are the servants of that creed. Loyalty, above all traits, will ensure any civil employee’s tenure under a given Administration. How many of us have challenged our bosses on company policy, the management and dispersion of funds, or the lack of paper towels in the washroom? Do your job and keep your mouth shut is an accepted axiom of the American work ethic.
The best and the brightest rarely come to political power because their loyalties are given to principles, not personalities.
IVAN LADIZINSKY, Marina del Rey
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