I appreciate candor in a politician because a willingness to be truthful with the public is the foundation of good governance. Lies and half-truths may fool voters and win elections, but in the long run they don't advance the public interest because you can't build sound government policy on something that isn't true. Those who try will eventually be exposed for their fraud.
Earlier this week, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney decided that he wanted to be candid with the public and share his innermost thoughts regarding the poor in America. He told a CNN reporter who was covering the Florida Republican primary that he's not concerned about the poor. I found his honesty refreshing. G.O.P. politicians seldom acknowledge their callous indifference to the plight of the poor so openly.
Over the years, Romney made tens of millions of dollars by putting thousands of hard working individuals out of a job and their families in dire financial straits, but he's not shy about those accomplishments and he's certainly not going to apologize for the wealth he's amassed. His fellow Republican candidates may chide him over his business practices, but I get the feeling they're just jealous it was Romney raking in the dough and not them.
Don't get me wrong. I find Romney's lack of concern for the poor as repugnant as fresh skunk road-kill; no offense to skunks, but I have to give credit to Romney for dropping all pretense and saying what he truly believed. Those are rare moments in a presidential campaign. You have to savor them whenever they occur.
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