Gaetz should go quietly into the night … and maybe he has

Those who follow my commentaries know that I had an immediate negative opinion on the naming of Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz for Attorney General.  Not only was he wrong in every way for that particular job, but he is also not a person who should hold any public office – elected or appointed.

It was a bad nomination from the get-go – and I safely predicted that Gaetz would never win confirmation – and I doubted that he would even get to the point of hearings.  Allowing for the possibility that Trump and his people did not know the full background on this reprobate until the House Ethics Committee issued the detailed report, it was still a bad pick.

As I expressed in my previous commentaries, I have to believe that Trump knew Gaetz would never pass muster with Senate Republicans and the American public.  Was he just put up to distract criticism from other nominees?  There had to be a reason why Trump put Gaetz out there, but it was not easy to see it.

Now we have seen the report of the Ethics Committee.  Some argue that it is worse than expected.  Others say it was exactly what was expected.  Regardless, no one says it is not very very bad. 

His transgressions were enormous – both in terms of drug use and sexual activity.  They go far beyond what our modern tolerant society accepts in both categories.

I am about to digress.  (The one thing that stood out for me in the Ethics Report was Gaetz’s involvement with prostitution.  I mean, this is a good look guy – famous, powerful, rich.  And he has to pay for sex with teeny boppers?  I have always viewed paying for sex as degrading on both sides.  I showed up in time for the sexual revolution and never found it necessary to pay for … whatever.  End of digression.)

Gaetz intimates that he may yet run for public office.  A return to Congress?  The Florida Senate race?  Gaetz appears to be afflicted with the same mental disability as former New York Congressman Anthony Weiner – who ran for mayor of the Big Apple after a series of sex scandals.   Gaetz should note that Weiner was appropriately crushed in his attempt to return to public life.

The better examples of scandalized politicians from whom Gaetz should draw insight are guys like former Illinois Congressman Dan Craine, former North Carolina Governor John Edwards and former Congressman Wilbur Mills — all of whom took their humiliation and exited the political stage.  (If the names are not familiar to you, that is the point.)

Gaetz has earned political anonymity and should embrace it enthusiastically and join the ranks of Craine, Edwards, Mills and others.

So, there ‘tis.