Gene Healy on Let's Hear It for Scandal!

"I can't abide the sort of Beltway scold who looks down his nose at political scandals as distractions from 'the business of governing,'" writes Gene Healy. "Ringside seats at the latest --'gate are among the few redeeming features of life in this miserable company town."

At a minimum, Healy argues, scandals serve as a useful reminder that we're usually led by people of questionable competence, miserable judgment, and a flexible relationship with the truth. At their best, they can even provoke much-needed reforms.