Two Governors Inaugurated, Both Under Clouds

Two governors are being inaugurated this week-end, one under a metaphorical cloud, and one under a real cloud. Governor Terry McAuliffe of Virginia was inaugurated yesterday in damp weather at the Capitol in Richmond. With former President Bill Clinton, and former First Lady Hillary Clinton, in attendance, McAuliffe carried forward his campaign themes of open government, improved support for education, especially community colleges, and equal rights for all. The inaugural came as a breath of fresh air after a season of allegations of corruption in the Bob McDonnell administration. Even the Attorney General, Ken Cucinelli, had been tarnished during the crisis. McDonnell survived in office, but with a cloud over his tenure.

In New Jersey, former rising star, Chris Christie, the 55th governor of the Garden State, was set to be sworn in for a second term amidst a scandal involving use of the governor's office for political gain, potentially a federal crime. Underlings of Christie maneuvered -- incredibly -- to engineer roadway lane closings as retribution for a mayor who refused to endorse Christie for re-election last fall. For now, Republicans, at least, are giving Christie the benefit of the doubt. But if he is found to be lying about his lack of knowledge of the lane closings, pundits say it could be curtains for any Christie Presidential bid. As for this writer, I believe an executive must take responsibility not only for the actions of his official associates, but also for the act of hiring such people in the first place. Christie obviously failed this test here.