Character and integrity needed to be president

Jeff Silverman, Las Vegas

Saturday, Feb. 20, 2010 | 2:04 a.m.

In his Tuesday letter to the editor, John C. Lovelace asked if anyone could provide an answer as to what constitutes “presidential caliber.” He asked this after Sarah Palin took a few hits from the media after her recent appearance on the “Fox News Sunday” show.

Presidential caliber should have everything to do with character and integrity, of which Palin has none because she has proven herself to be a quitter. She ran out on the people of Alaska when she resigned her position of governor to go on a book-signing tour and to sign a fat contract with Fox News.

By leaving the office she was elected to early, in favor of financial gain, she broke every campaign promise she made to the people who voted for her by losing sight of the first rule of public service: The acceptance of an elected public office means there will be some degree of personal sacrifice that Palin proved unwilling to give. I, for one, don’t want anyone in the White House who is simply killing time until something better comes along.

Palin was made a star by the John McCain presidential campaign, and in her quest for personal celebrity, fame and fortune, she has made it clear that she doesn’t have the character or the integrity to hold public office at any level.

Unfortunately, the election of Barack Obama only goes to prove that it’s personality and not competence that people want these days. It has given carte blanche to anyone with a fast smile and a pocketful of lies to throw his or her hat into the ring of national politics.

As long as Palin continues to believe that she has foreign policy experience because one can see Russia from Alaska, I will continue to worry.