Is There an Honest Politician in the House?

One survey result I would love to see publicized would be an authoritative ranking of all current federal elective officials in the United States based on their perceived level of consistent honesty, politeness, civility, freedom from illicit-drug or alcohol addictions, and obedience of the law.

I among the millions of Americans who would truthfully be stumped by the question, "Can you name 10 or 20 honest and polite and civil and permanently illicit-drug-free and alcohol-free or alcohol-abstemious, law-abiding, honorable U.S. Senators and U.S. Congressman at present?"

If I were asked to respond to a survey of that type, I would probably want to contact former U.S. Senator George McGovern and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. I would then ask each of those former federal officials which of the current elective officials in Washington, D.C., they would each rank best in the nation by the cited criteria. Possibly officials of conscientious non-profit groups such as Common Cause, or the crusading anti-corruption attorney Ralph Nader, might be able to help me obtain information on that important subject.

In the meantime, what many Americans most dread is yet another daily newspaper headline revealing that yet another federal lawmaker whom we had assumed to be honorable was, in fact, flagrantly corrupt and dishonorable. The nationwide societal dread that corruption in our federal government is, in fact, alarmingly widespread, makes it all the more imperative that the incoming new U.S. President and all future leaders of Congress, establish as many traditions and protocols as possible on behalf of preventing corruption in our federal government.