Drawing The Line

In the Senate furor over John Tower's sobriety, some basic ethical concerns have been obscured

Morality is simply the attitude we adopt towards people whom we personally dislike.

Oscar Wilde's aphorism comes close to summarizing John Tower's last-ditch defense. Forget the sandstorm of charges swirling around the diminutive former Senator; ignore the serious questions of sobriety, sexual escapades and the sale of Government expertise. To the beleaguered nominee for Defense Secretary, the real issue is the motivation of his judges in the Senate, who he implied were hypocrites pursuing the partisan politics of personal pique. "Is it an acceptable standard for Senators late in the evening who've had a few drinks . . . ((to)) vote...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!