A Ray of Sunshine - Honest, Diligent, Intelligent Public 'Servants'

I'm an independent. I eschew (blind) partisanship I invest my beliefs in values and principles, not cults. At the same time, I've been accused all my life of the fashion misdemeanors of "wearing a white hat" and "wearing my heart on my sleeve." I steadfastly believe that the worst 'sins' are lying to one's self and lying to others. I believe that in the pursuit of personal integrity there can be no self-righteousness. It is a pursuit that can have no conclusion while one lives and breathes lest the goal be forsaken.

That said, for the first time in years I am heartened by an exemplar of integrity in public service. Absolutely nothing comes out more clearly in Fitzgerald's press conference than a standard of integrity (and healthy humility) that has not been apparent for a long, long time. Fitzgerald portrays self-confidence without self-righteousness, diligence without obsession, idealism without naivete.

If nothing else, this is a single bright spot in a cesspool of corruption and pandemic of deceit.

I'm hoping it's contagious, TahitiNut.

It seems society (and I'm including my own country of Canada as well) has a kind of double message about public service jobs. On the one hand, kids are given the Kennedyesque image of how noble and generous it is, to devote yourself to the public good (in politics, or in the civil or diplomatic service, legal system, or for that matter being a teacher, firefighter, soldier, etc.). And then there is this constant barrage of media stories and gossip about how lazy and greedy public service employees are ... how only losers get that kind of job, because they were turned down by the private sector "where the action is". And that a prosecutor or judge or ambassador is just in it for the salary/benefits, or is plain unfit to do "real" high-paid work.

I felt that pressure -- I and virtually my entire family work in the public sector. Sometimes it's been very painful to give polite and thoughtful answers when people are making nasty comments. When Al Gore kind of lost it and slammed those who sneered at "bureaucrats" -- like those who died at the federal building in Oklahoma City -- I was grateful that someone had said something. When I see people like Fitzgerald (and Ambassador Wilson, too) who are really top-notch and have so much integrity, it makes me feel inspired and gratified.

... in my last semester of high school when JFK called to people of integrity to "ask what they could do for their country." I had absolutely no doubt that my "country" was People - not a bunch of jingoistic dirt - People.

My generation wanted the integrity of Service ... the Peace Corps, VISTA, and military service to defend those who couldn't defend themselves!

We're so far away from that today it's physically painful to me. I got a little nostalgic listening to Fitzgerald. I remember attending a Jesuit college. I remember "Duty - Honor - Country." Especially "Honor" and "Semper Paratus."

We cannot be a decent nation of decent people without aspirations to be better than we've ever been.

I'm sooooo tired of the lowered bar ... the weakest standard ... the greedy, corrupt, me-firsters!

It gave me back a little gleam of hope that there are still people out there in government that actually care about justice and doing their job right. I didn't think people like that existed anymore. Maybe we can clone him.

...the career DOJ prosecutors who pressured Ashcroft to recuse himself from this thing...thus clearing the way for Comey (his next in command) to appoint Fitz. At least, that's the "inside" story I've read right here on DU and it certainly rings true to me.