The Meaning of 'is' Day

Well all, my wacky calendar tells me that today is “The meaning of ‘is’ day”. This is a ‘commemoration’ of the phrase our former President used 13 years ago while attempting to finagle his way out of a truthful answer to questions about his illicit relationship inside the oval office with a young, now infamous, intern. Personally, I have to admit that such a recollection makes me glad for our current President who, for all his many faults and shortcomings, appears at least to be a man of marital fidelity [something much more rare than might be supposed from our land’s highest office – see “In the President’s Secret Service: Behind the scenes with the agents” for insights that will make your skin crawl].


In the last year, we have seen several similar examples surface, namely the Weiner debacle, Schwarzenegger’s scandal, and the most notably, the philandering of John Edwards, behind the back of his famous, dying wife. The Edward’s episode was notable because his staffer’s revealed that through the years, they actually worked to keep him and his mistress apart. They would intentionally screen her calls and interfere with their attempts to rendezvous. So here is a man, aspiring to one day attain the highest political office in the world, who needed his staffers to protect him from his own lusts. Truthfully now, how could such a man be trusted with the reins of our nation? It brings to mind the Scriptural principle that a man incapable of ruling himself, is not fit to rule anything else. This directly contradicts conventional wisdom that a guy’s personal life is his own business, as long as he performs in office. But the borders dividing the compartments of a man’s life are more than a little porous, and a lack of integrity at home will always lead to similar breaches in the other areas of his life. A jar of spoiled mayo is no more edible in the cafeteria at work than it is when I first find it in my kitchen at home.