Making an informed decision

First, I would like to say this whole George W. Bush driving under the influence mess is exactly why we don't have real choices in presidential elections. No sane person wants to have his or her entire history scrutinized.\nBut it has to be said Bush asked for it. \nFrom the start of Bush's campaign, he has made an issue of bringing "dignity" to the White House. The issue even affected Vice President Al Gore's choice of a running mate; Sen. Joseph Lieberman's criticism of President Bill Clinton during Monica-gate was one of the reasons he might become vice president. \nBoth political parties have made personal indiscretions part of the recent political debate. In 1987, Judge Douglas Ginsburg had to withdraw his nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court after he admitted to smoking marijuana. In 1993, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas had to admit to the same. In the 1992 presidential race, Clinton had to ward off questions of prior marijuana use; we've all heard the jokes. \nWe also know too many details about Clinton's sexual history. And Gore smoked marijuana, but Republicans cannot call him to task because of their own candidate's "youthful indiscretions."\nI care more about leadership and the issues than a candidate's history. Some of our greatest presidents have done much worse than all those mentioned above. But people seem to want to hear about it, and barring the timing, it is more than justified in this case.\nEveryone has known Bush is a former alcoholic and an alleged cocaine user, but we didn't know he was arrested for a crime.\nKnowing a candidate's record should be important to voters. After all, the president is a direct participant in the law-making process.\nBush's arrest was not a "youthful indiscretion." People do not consider 30 year olds to be immature youths. And drunken driving isn't an indiscretion: It is a violent crime. Drunken drivers do kill people.\nBush made the roads of Maine unsafe, and the public needs to know this. The press should not decide whether the public cares. The public will let us know Tuesday.\nIf nothing else, this DUI incident sets a poor example for the young -- "What you do before you're 30 doesn't count. Do drugs, drink all you want, and climb behind the wheel of a car; and one day maybe you too can bring dignity to the office of the presidency"