By Andy Ostmeyer
Globe Metro Editor
How much information about a candidate is too much?
Where is that line between their personal life and their professional life? Is there even a line?
We in the media don’t have those answers, although I think the higher the office, the lower the bar.
Bad personal behavior from reckless politicians makes the news a lot. There’s Eliot Spitzer, ex-governor of New York, and now embattled Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann, who hired former Globe editor Ed Simpson. I’m of the opinion that some details of some candidates’ personal lives are relevant, including infidelity, particularly if they are indulging themselves either on the public’s dime or in ways that compromise their office or ability to lead.
“A man not honorable in his marital relations is not usually honorable in any other,” Harry Truman said.
There’s advice public figures should live by.
But how much more do we deserve to know about politicians?
This week, members of Congress and other top officials in the executive branch will turn in financial disclosure forms listing their assets, income, debts, investment property, gifts and more. The forms are sufficiently vague enough that it is impossible to ascertain exactly how much a senator or representative may have to the penny, but they paint a broad picture.
All these documents are available on the Internet through Web sites such as opensecrets.org.
U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt’s wife worked for Altria Group, according to his 2007 financial disclosure, the last required so far. And while her actual salary isn’t public, the couple have an investment fund via Altria listed as having between $100,000 and $250,000. They also have a 401(k) fund worth between $250,000 and $500,000.
Why is that important?
Altria was the parent company of Philip Morris, among others, which is one of the largest tobacco companies in the world. It’s worth knowing, every time Roy Blunt casts a vote on health care and tobacco regulation and subsidies, what his connections are to the Altria, which also is the parent of Kraft Foods and many other household names.
The same holds true for Lockheed Martin. Blunt has between $15,000 and $50,000 invested with that defense contractor.
It’s also worth knowing, every time Blunt helps bring home a little money for U.S. Highway 65, whether he has investments in Branson, including a condominium valued at between $100,000 and $250,000. He did.
And it’s worth knowing that every time Blunt casts a vote on Mideast policy and aid to Israel that Blunt and his wife took a trip to Israel paid for by the American Israel Education Foundation at a cost of more than $9,000 in 2005.
Knowledge is power, but the danger here is one of too much information.
Pretty soon, it becomes impossible to impute anything but a self-serving motive to every vote, speech and handshake. I don’t think that’s the case with most politicians, who, like the rest of us, find themselves entangled in decisions that can be good and bad for them and good and bad for the country at the same time and aren’t sure where to land.
Voters have to guard against ignorance; they have to guard against cynicism as well.
Address correspondence to Andy Ostmeyer, c/o The Joplin Globe, P.O. Box 7, Joplin, Mo. 64802 or e-mail aostmeyer@joplinglobe.com.
Campaigns and Politics
Andy Ostmeyer: Too much information can breed cynical voters
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