Conservatives once believed that character is the foundation of effective self-government and that public office is a trust to be honored rather than a prize to be exploited. The opposite is also true: corruption and self-dealing are the hallmarks of failing nations and kleptocratic dictatorships like Russia.
It used to be that Republicans said these things loudly and often, usually while a Democrat was explaining why a scandal was really only a misunderstanding. But now, the GOP must decide: will that principle apply to our own side in addition to our enemies or does it not apply to anyone? By that standard, the past few years have been grim, and the past few weeks a disaster.
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