Honesty

Billy Joel called honesty "Such a lonely word".  However, for the coming primaries and elections honesty and integrity should become the touchstones on which we base our choices for who will become the next President.  As has become all too obvious, that pretty much disqualifies most of the republican candidates.  Anyone who simultaneously embraces the Iraq War and complains Obamacare is a complete failure should also be using a fire extinguisher on their pants.  Jeb Bush loudly proclaims he is his own man, but meanwhile has hired a stable of advisors who pushed his brother into some of the most disastrous choices in American History.  Scott Walker has left a trail of advisors and aides in the local jails in Wisconsin for campaign irregularities and let's not even start on Chris Christie.  On the other side, Hillary will be questioned for her real and imagined lapses.  It's hard to know which is which in her case.  Bernie Sanders is probably the most honest of all the declared and lurking candidates, but the scrutiny is just beginning.  While competence is certainly desirable, honesty and integrity should trump any other qualifications for the nation's highest office.