Parting Thoughts on Ethics

This partial transcript of Fox News Sunday, August 5, 2001 was provided by the Federal Document Clearing House. Click here to order the complete transcript.

When Representative Scott McInnis suggested last week that Congress pass a law prohibiting honorables from bedding their interns, alot of folks around this town snickered and sighed.

But he was on to something. I want you to check this out. This is just a partial printout -- you can see right here -- of the House Ethics Manual. It's a big hefty thing, hundreds of pages long and it regulates politicians behavior to a fair-thee-well.

Now, compare that to what I'm now holding in my hand here, the 10 commandments. What's the difference between the two? Well, when God handed the tablets to Moses, he figured he was dealing with a responsible individuals who could fill in the blanks and assume responsibility for their behavior, good or bad.

Evidently, politicians don't make the same assumptions about themselves, and so they try to put everything in writing. Perhaps this explains why all but a fractional few in the House of Representatives have remained stone silent about Gary Condit's having a torrid affair with a intern who's younger than his children. The smitten girl actually hoped her man would leave his wife and slip a ring over her finger.

Now since politicians won't say what's obvious, I will. Condit's behavior is wrong. It's predatory, creepy and abusive, and if members of the Congress can't boot out somebody who does that sort of stuff, well then I suppose they'll have no choice but to write a law, add it to this big old thick manual and then ignore it.

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