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McCook Gazette

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Editorial

Character flaws end career for another politician

Thursday, February 10, 2011
McCook Daily Gazette

Just like that, U.S. Rep. Christopher Lee of New York is gone.

Representing himself as a divorced lobbyist, Lee, a family-values, married Republican congressman, was exposed after responding to a Craigslist post with a cheesy cell-phone picture of his bare-chested self. He didn't fool the woman he was exchanging e-mails with, though, and she turned a photo over to the Gawker gossip website, which led to his downfall.

Sex scandals are as old as humanity, but are especially condemning for someone from Lee's end of the political spectrum.

Lee was a businessman before he won his seat in the House in 2008, and earned an 88 percent approval rating from the American Conservative Union for his 2010 votes. He voted against abortion funding in the health care overhaul, against repealing the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy in the military, and has been active in economic revitalization issues.

He was also an important supporter of the families of victims of a Buffalo commuter airline crash, and related safety reforms.

Now, thanks to his misguided libido, people who voted for him and depended on him to champion their causes, have been left out in the cold.

Yes, Lee was right in resigning, but the reason is just as much his stupidity as his moral failings.

His downfall should serve as a warning to voters to pay as much or more attention to a candidate's personal integrity as his or her stand on the issues.

Comments
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    At least Lee had the integrity to resign which is more than I can say about a certain Ex-President. Clinton should have resigned too but often sexual escapades are resume enhancement for Democrats.

    Whether they are Democrat or Republican if our elected officials don't have any more sense or scruples than that, they should be gone. It appears his character flaws caught up with him.

    Maybe it is the voters that lack integrity and honor. Voters all too often back someone on one issue and the personal behavior be damned!!

    -- Posted by ksfarmer on Thu, Feb 10, 2011, at 6:50 PM
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  • You don't have to go very far to show examples. Southwest Ne. voted for a crook. He was pro-life, but a crook nonetheless. No single issue voters here. And...We like those good old Nebraska values that we here so much of when election time rolls around.

    -- Posted by hulapopper on Sat, Feb 12, 2011, at 8:01 AM
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    Well at least it was with the opposite sex and not the same one republicans seem to get mixed up with?

    -- Posted by Damu on Sun, Feb 13, 2011, at 5:04 PM
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    Does it matter what the sex of the other person was Damu? How very homophobic of you. In my book infidelity is infidelity, wrong is wrong. Maybe it is different in yours.

    -- Posted by Sir Didymus on Mon, Feb 14, 2011, at 11:25 PM
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    @SirD It's actually the irony about the situation that gets me. The majority of senators caught in such acts with members of the same sex are usually ardent about not allowing gay marriage ect. They also like invoking silly Satan made me do it type arguments.

    The best part about it, I can tell some people actually buy that nonsense.

    -- Posted by Damu on Tue, Feb 15, 2011, at 8:46 AM
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    Well, maybe so. Ive found, however, that when people use something as an insult they think it is something insulting. Most people don't use things they dont have a problem with as a cutting remark. Color it however you like, but behavior betrays thinking.

    -- Posted by Sir Didymus on Tue, Feb 15, 2011, at 5:01 PM
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  • Never have I seen a politician that was honest.

    You guys have said what others have said and thought about. Too bad we all couldn't get rid of the bad put in the good. That would be too easy.....

    -- Posted by edbru on Thu, Feb 17, 2011, at 7:06 AM
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