Impeachable vs. Unimpeachable reputations.

[The Backlash Cometh]

I'm spotting a pattern that needs some airing. I just saw the Jon Stewart vs. Bill O'Reilly debate regarding the Commons issue. Bill O'Reilly gave Commons no wiggle room when it came to Common's support of a woman he referred to as a cop killer. What he concluded was that the president of the United States needed to go through the list of poets beforehand and look for people who have unimpeachable reputations.

That term struck a chord: unimpeachable reputations. That bar moves all too often. Forget about some poet who has been invited to the White House. Think about the bigger problem we're dealing with. Too many crooked people in positions of leadership. Now, we may not be able to control things in the National level, but we should be able to control them locally, and many of us who found ourselves in the position of being a reluctant activist can see the problem. People in leadership positions have gamed the system in such a manner that everyone else feels like they have to accept that level of corruption in order to get ahead. It's a pattern that can be broken, and Obama can do it.

Our local leaders do not have unimpeachable reputations. And they know it. So they create a rabbit patch to pull attention away from their negative qualities and point to the rabbit patch to convince people that they have impeccable reputations.

What's a rabbit patch? As any farmer will tell you, a rabbit patch is that second garden you plant away from the main crops. It's the patch of crops you allow the rabbits to get to, in the hopes that they never see the one that sustains you. So, local leaders will fill that rabbit patch with all kinds of distracting goodness, like charitable contributions, pro bono work, or other civic participation.

It's a critical distinction. Though I think this thing over Common is overkill, I think O'Reilly may have a point when it comes to big campaign donors. I think Obama needs to look at his list of campaign donors, and start weeding those out who do not have unimpeachable reputations. And might I suggest that he begin to look at the trial lawyers. Just because they're trial lawyers doesn't mean there is an automatic common bond with Democratic interests.

There is no profession in a better position to have an impact on a community, than the trial lawyers. Unfortunately, if you have a trial lawyer group who has many personal secrets to hide within their ranks--who has members who have done tortious crimes within a community--you have a profession that will be more intent in hiding their secrets, than in providing good legal advice to the people who come to them for assistance.

This is how the system of integrity begins to degrade. And Obama can have an impact on all our local communities, if he ensures that he turns away these compromised legal groups, even if they're long-term campaign donors.

[WingDinger]

1. Only those swearing an oath to the status quo may gain attendance.

Similar to GWB always wearing a tie to make the oval office respectable again.

[The Backlash Cometh]

4. I'm counting on Obama to recognize that it's gone too far.

[elocs]

2. Congratulations on a well composed and easily readable OP

instead of the massively large and long paragraphs that are frequently seen here. Well done.

Oh, by the bye, I do agree. Caesar's wife should be above reproach and it would be nice if donors were at least in that neighborhood.

[The Backlash Cometh]

3. Thanks. Looks like the lawyers found the post.

Already lost a recommend.

[elocs]

5. A kick really means more than a Rec since it always moves the thread to the top of its forum.

My guess is that more DUers surf the GD forum than do the Greatest page, so its more likely to be seen for at least awhile at the top of the forum. Too many DUers obsess about Rec/UnRec anyways.

[The Backlash Cometh]

6. I do drive-by DU. I hop on for a few minutes frequently through the day.

So I only see the Greatest Page threads. But thanks. Good to know someone is reading it. Maybe I'll put it in letter form and send it to Obama?

[The Backlash Cometh]

7. Truly unbelievable the level of denial.

[JDPriestly]

8. Don't paint all trial lawyers with one brush.

We would not do that with any other profession.

Do you object to any particular lawyer?

Lawyers represent clients. I can't quite understand how a lawyer would have any ability to hide a secret or a tortious crime than anyone else.

But lawyers are required to be loyal to all their clients and to keep the secrets of all their clients. Those are two of the basic tenets of lawyers' ethics.

Sorry, I can't understand what/who you are talking about.

I do question why Obama has taken so much money from the crooks on Wall Street.

[The Backlash Cometh]

9. I know that lawyers do have ethical standards to protect,

and continuing unlawful behavior or details that can harm people in the community, is probably not condoned by the profession.