Insane talk from the editor of The Nation in today’s Washington Post. Her opener:

The decision by Jesse Jackson Jr. to resign from Congress marks a personal tragedy and a political loss. The tragedy is his; the loss is the rest of ours. Newly reelected after serving for 17 years in Congress, Jackson, who has been struggling with bipolar disorder, decided that he could no longer adequately represent his constituents.
He also acknowledged an embarrassing, ongoing federal investigation into the possible misdirection of campaign funds: “I am doing my best to . . . cooperate with the investigators and accept responsibility for my mistakes,” he wrote in his resignation letter, “for they are my mistakes and mine alone.”

She goes on to laud all of the far-left policies he supported and ends with this:

At a time when too many of our elected officials are more lemming than leader, Jesse Jackson Jr. was not afraid to think originally and lead forcefully. We can only hope that he will overcome the demons and mistakes that now plague him and once more be able to contribute his energy and intelligence to forging a more perfect union.

Isn’t it about time to finally judge our representatives on their character first and not their voting record? Reports are that Jackson could face jail time for the “mistakes” he’s made with his campaign funds. This is not a trivial matter, and it has nothing to do with his medical condition. Vanden Heuvel gives Jackson a pass, solely because she agrees with his politics.