Remorse a rare sight from a congressional crook

Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham, R-Calif., is undeserving of sympathy. As he took $2.4 million worth of bribes in the form of a Rolls-Royce, a yacht, a 19th-century commode and more, he disgraced Congress and furthered the public’s mistaken idea that all of its members are crooks. He’s going to jail, and rightly so. Still, Cunningham’s tearful confession Monday stood out: It made you realize how rarely public figures not only admit wrongdoing but show obvious remorse. Why do so many think getting elected to public office means never having to say you’re sorry?
Posted by Rhonda Holman

5 Comments

  1. Steven E.
    Posted December 1, 2005 at 3:21 pm | Permalink

    Does anyone on this blog have an idea where this politician rule “never acknowledge a mistake” comes from? Is it, that if you say you’ve made a mistake, the expectation is that you will then do something to fix the problem?

  2. Damoon
    Posted December 1, 2005 at 5:21 pm | Permalink

    An antisocial only regrets getting caught, not the crime(s) he’s committed. The kind of person who’ll take advantage of every opportunity to feather their own nest doesn’t all of a sudden develop a conscience. I’m sure ole’ Duke is crying because he’s going to be sitting in a jail cell instead of his yacht or his Rolls Royce.

  3. RD
    Posted December 1, 2005 at 7:58 pm | Permalink

    Exactly what I was thinking, Damoon.

  4. k
    Posted December 1, 2005 at 9:54 pm | Permalink

    Dang Damoon, you beat me to it. He is sobbing like a little girl on camera because he got caught. Not because he did anything wrong. That would require the conscience he doesn’t have. He took the bribes in the first place didn’t he?

  5. TRACY
    Posted December 2, 2005 at 12:58 pm | Permalink

    One more GREAT example of why we need public funding for elections.I’ve known too many brilliant young minds who were ineligible for public office, based entirely on their economic status.I’ve also known dimwits who end up running towns, states and yes countries, simply because the were born with the proverbial ’silver spoon’.