Corruption in Washington: Naked Emperors
Carolyn Schultz
Issue date: 2/20/09 Section: News
Tuesday, Scot Faulkner '75 presented on the corruption of America's political leaders in his address "Naked Emperors - How Republicans and Democrats Have Lost Their Minds and Their Way." The lecture was based on his 2008 book "Naked Emperors: The Failure of the Republican Revolution," an account of Faulkner's experiences as the country's first chief administrative officer of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Faulkner served as the national director of personnel for the Reagan-Bush campaign of 1980 and held executive positions at the Federal Aviation Administration, the General Services Administration and the Peace Corps during the Reagan administration. He served as the House of Representatives' chief administrative officer beginning in 1995. He has been involved in politics for 38 years.
Faulkner's address began with his reaction to his experiences in Washington. "Trying to find scandal in Washington is like hunting for cows," he summarized. He added that every era in politics is tainted by the scandals uncovered at the beginnings of terms. For example, before President Obama was sworn in last month, Rod Blagojevich tainted his first term.
Faulkner calls the political leaders in Washington "naked emperors" after the classic story "The Emperor's New Clothes" by Hans Christian Anderson. This emperor was so obsessed with himself that his tailor tricked him into wearing a "fabric" only important people could see, and all of his court told the emperor he looked great. It took a child's telling him that he was naked for the emperor to realize his mistake. The "emperors" in Washington, Faulkner states, are the same self-absorbed bureaucrats. However, the truth-telling child "would be wrestled to the ground and deported," said Faulkner.
"Congress is like a big freshman dorm," he said. "Congressmen are away from home for the first time, they have no adult supervision ... it's all about sex, drugs and rock n' roll. They go nuts and screw around all term, and then come 10th week, they pull all-nighters and ask for extensions."
Faulkner served as the national director of personnel for the Reagan-Bush campaign of 1980 and held executive positions at the Federal Aviation Administration, the General Services Administration and the Peace Corps during the Reagan administration. He served as the House of Representatives' chief administrative officer beginning in 1995. He has been involved in politics for 38 years.
Faulkner's address began with his reaction to his experiences in Washington. "Trying to find scandal in Washington is like hunting for cows," he summarized. He added that every era in politics is tainted by the scandals uncovered at the beginnings of terms. For example, before President Obama was sworn in last month, Rod Blagojevich tainted his first term.
Faulkner calls the political leaders in Washington "naked emperors" after the classic story "The Emperor's New Clothes" by Hans Christian Anderson. This emperor was so obsessed with himself that his tailor tricked him into wearing a "fabric" only important people could see, and all of his court told the emperor he looked great. It took a child's telling him that he was naked for the emperor to realize his mistake. The "emperors" in Washington, Faulkner states, are the same self-absorbed bureaucrats. However, the truth-telling child "would be wrestled to the ground and deported," said Faulkner.
"Congress is like a big freshman dorm," he said. "Congressmen are away from home for the first time, they have no adult supervision ... it's all about sex, drugs and rock n' roll. They go nuts and screw around all term, and then come 10th week, they pull all-nighters and ask for extensions."
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Dr Arthur Ide
Dr Arthur Frederick Ide
posted 2/23/09 @ 8:23 AM CST
Like most voters in the last presidential election, I was tired of the war crimes of the Bush-Cheney Administration and the ever increasing body count of civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as the loss of American lives. (Continued…)
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