Times push politicians to think before speaking

Larry Bock, 1st District Commissioner for Cape Girardeau County, is wrapping up his 16th year in office.

At 10 a.m. today, he'll be the honoree at a reception in the county administration building, 1 Barton Square in Jackson.

In reviewing his political career -- look for the story in Tuesday's paper -- it's hard to look away from the tumult of the last few months, though he has easily been the quietest of the three commissioners, particularly in matters relating to the ongoing Sunshine Law suit filed by 2nd District Commissioner Jay Purcell.

It was a comment Bock made months earlier that has stuck with me, however. Purcell had brought up the notion of installing a webcam in the commissioners' administration building chambers, but Bock and Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones were unconvinced of the value. Back in February, I asked Bock about having a camera trained on the commissioners' chambers, broadcasting their activities over the Internet much the same way Missouri's legislature broadcasts live audio of its sessions online.

"Your couldn't talk as freely. There's certain comment about things that are just not decided that shouldn't be talked about in public," he'd said.

Most of the controversy that has transpired among Cape Girardeau County officials in 2008 started weeks after he said that, and it all seems to pale in comparison to conduct by other elected officials.

For much of the year, outgoing Gov. Matt Blunt and Attorney General Jay Nixon have played a legal tug-of-war over such electronic records as e-mails.

In March, New York Governor Eliot Spitzer resigned, undone by a federal wiretap that revealed his predilection for a particular prostitute.

From Detroit, a series of revelations drawn from digitally recorded messages between that city's mayor and chief of staff basically unraveled that administration. Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick made a deal with the court in which he would resign, lose his pension, repay the city of Detroit $1 million, spend four months in the Wayne County jail, serve five years' probation and give up his law license. If he has a clean record after five years, he'll be eligible to run for public office again.

Now Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, faced with federal charges for trying to leverage his power to appoint a senator to replace president-elect Barack Obama, has spent the last few days telling everyone who will listen that he will fight, fight, fight for his right to stay in office. And he's openly invited people to follow him around with recording devices, saying he'd "appreciate anyone who wants to tape me openly and notoriously,"

Am I the only one who read that and thought, "Gov. Blagojevich, please Google 'Gary Hart, 1987'?"

A few days ago, a coworker e-mailed the following quote, attributed to Matt Groening, creator of "The Simpsons."

"You know, the courts may not be working any more, but as long as everyone is videotaping everyone else, justice will be done," he wrote.

Then came the news that W. Mark Felt -- a man made infamous by his Watergate-era nickname, 'Deep Throat' -- died. Some people called him a snitch for his role in bringing down then-president Richard Nixon. Other people call him a hero. History, it seems is intent on repeating itself.

What do you think?

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I also wanted to express some gratitude to people whose names don't often come up, but whose work literally makes these pages: Southeast Missourian copy editors Spencer Cramer, Sheri Robertson, Heather Collier, Katherine Webster and Tyler Griesenbrock. They have made me a better writer by asking questions and making thoughtful edits.

Questions, suggestions or tips for Lost on Main Street? E-mail pmcnichol@semissourian.com or call 573-388-3646.