Honoring Integrity in Politics and Journalism

In about sixth months, Americans will head to the polls. The Republican primary has been grueling, but it is effectively over. Unless a meteor hits the earth, in which case there may not be an election, Mitt Romney will be the Republican candidate for president. Before long, the race for president is going to heat up. President Obama and Governor Romney will campaign hard, and the Democratic and Republican parties will enlist the support of pundits, donors, volunteers, and elected officials in the hopes of getting their candidate elected. We are going to be bombarded with spin from all parts of the media. It's going to be ugly. So-called journalists on both the right and the left are going to engage in conscious acts of deception and misinformation. And the candidates will do this too. It's some system we have.

Anyway, I don't want to launch into a harangue about the failures of politicians and journalists today. Instead, I want to recognize some of the politicians and journalists who have repeatedly demonstrated a commitment to serve their country with honesty and integrity.  Not all partisanship is bad. In fact, some partisanship can be a good thing, if handled properly. However, our country is currently suffering from a glut of bad partisanship, and it needs to stop. The politicians and journalists that I recognize today have taken a stand against such destructive partisanship. They have worked to improve public discourse in this country, often at some cost to themselves. These men and women have demonstrated a true commitment to public service. For all these reasons, I want to recognize them, and I want to thank them.  I’ll start with the journalists.

Many journalists have demonstrated a willingness to challenge their own parties and to deal with their political opponents in an honest way. They have admitted the failures of their own party while acknowledging the successes of the opposing party. In doing so, they have rejected the destructive partisanship that is damaging our country. These journalists aren't perfect, of course, and they sometimes lapse into typical partisan boilerplate. But they have acted honorably toward their political opponents on a consistent basis, and for that they deserve recognition.

So, who are these journalists? Well, there are a number of them, but I would like to single out three for particular praise. They are David Brooks, Mike Murphy, and Michael Gerson. All three are Republicans. In fact, Mike Murphy has advised many Republican candidates (including John McCain), and Michael Gerson served as a speech writer for George W. Bush. None is a reporter in the usual sense. They are op-ed writers. Brooks writes for the New York Times, Murphy writes for Time, and Gerson writes for the Washington Post. (Brooks and Murphy also make regular appearances on Meet the Press.) I have seen these men defend the Republican Party with verve, but I have also seen them criticize the Republican Party and stand up for Democrats. They seem to be men of great integrity, and I want to recognize them both for their honesty and for their contributions to our country.

There are a number of other journalists that I would like to recognize. I haven't seen all of them take a stand against their own parties, but I have seen them refuse to engage in cheap political attacks on at least a number of occasions. Though many of them may be partisan, their partisanship seems to be healthy, not destructive. I sense that they are men and women of integrity, and I have learned from all of them. They are Eugene Robinson, E.J. Dionne, Joe Scarborough, Peggy Noonan, Dana Milbank, and Thomas Friedman. Let me be clear - I have seen a few of these journalists criticize their political opponents in ways that seemed lazy to me. But I have also seen all of them demonstrate fairness and integrity toward their political opponents numerous times. Robinson, Dionne, and Milbank write for the Washington Post. Friedman writes for the New York Times. Scarborough has a news show on MSNBC. Noonan was a speech writer for President Reagan and often appears as a guest on Meet the Press. She also writes for the Wall Street Journal.

Finally, I would like to honor some of the politicians who have consistently demonstrated bipartisanship, or at least rejected destructive partisanship. Unfortunately, Bob Gates is the only example that comes to mind, but I am sure that there are others. Dick Durbin seems like a decent chap, and Chuck Hegel seemed like a good guy too. I don't know much about either of them, but I do know that both have taken stands against their own parties, and that both have stood up for the political opposition. I have admired both Colin Powell and Condoleeza Rice, and both have demonstrated a healthy bipartisanship on a number of occasions, but again, I don't know much about them.

Needless to say, I don’t agree with the views of all these politicians and journalists. I couldn’t, for they disagree on most issues themselves. Some of the men and women that I have mentioned are conservative Republicans; others are liberal Democrats. I haven’t singled out these men and women for the particular views they hold. Rather, I have singled them out for the way in which they defend their views, and in particular for the way they treat those who disagree with them. Americans may disagree on many issues, but our differences shouldn’t prevent us from respecting - even loving - one another. We are all Americans. More importantly, we are all human beings.

I am sure that there are many decent journalists and politicians whom I have omitted. However, my knowledge of politics is limited, and so is my knowledge of journalism. I would like to thank every public figure who has tried to serve their country faithfully. God bless America. In fact, God bless us all.