Brent Budowsky: Persecuting Carson, smearing Rubio

With another Republican presidential debate occurring this week, I rise in defense of GOP candidates Ben Carson and Marco Rubio, who are being attacked in ways that in Carson’s case qualifies as virtual persecution and in the Florida senator’s case qualifies as a smear.

The issues in this defense of Carson and Rubio are twofold: first are the hostile and exaggerated attacks against them in the campaign, and second are the vital national and international issues that are not being discussed with the intelligence and depth that voters deserve.

{mosads}Fictional President Andrew Shepherd, well played by Michael Douglas in the 1995 film “The American President,” said that the U.S. faces serious problems and needs serious people to solve them. He said America is hard work, requiring advanced citizenship. Truer words were never spoken, and they apply to politicians, the press and voters who must all work hard to choose our leaders and make our democracy as great as it can be.

Carson is under attack for stating that he had been offered a scholarship to attend West Point. Here are two known facts. First, Carson always demonstrated exemplary scholarship, which ultimately led to his becoming a nationally respected surgeon who achieved internationally respected success in his chosen profession. Second, no one disputes that Carson demonstrated skill and leadership qualities during his time with the ROTC.

It is perfectly plausible and logical that military officers would have recruited Carson to attend West Point, especially since this recruitment would have occurred during the Vietnam era, when young men with his talents were urgently needed.

All West Point cadets receive free education in return for service in the Army. Carson was technically inaccurate when he used the words “scholarship” and “offered,” but if military officers told him they would recommend him for free education at West Point, at worst he is guilty of a poor choice of words.

Did Carson exaggerate at times? Yes. Have other candidates told far greater exaggerations and worse and not been held to account as he has? You bet they have! I have great admiration for Carson’s professional achievements. I would never vote for him, but I would trust him with my life if I ever need major surgery. Which politician would you trust with your life?

Similarly, there is no question that Carson grew up poor and worked his way up from a tough neighborhood through hard work and great talent, demonstrating character, talent and fortitude. If media organizations sent teams of reporters to interview your husband or wife who knew a candidate when he was 13 years old about an attack against him today, would you advise them to subject themselves to the invasions of privacy that would engulf them if they were thrust into a vicious campaign defined by personal insults and saturated with vindictiveness and venom?

Regarding the charge card issue being used to attack Rubio, it was investigated by Florida authorities who cleared him of wrongdoing. Case closed.

Rubio was never a wealthy man, and while the senator may be criticized for imperfect management of personal finance when he was younger, aren’t there far greater offenses in the abuses of crony capitalism that make many politicians filthy rich and corrupt politics, business and government?

Rubio and Carson are getting a bad deal from personal attacks given exaggerated credence. Voters are getting a bad deal from the collapsed quality of our political discourse.

America does face serious problems, needs serious leaders and deserves serious debate.

We should be intelligently discussing wages that are low, poverty that is high, dangers of terrorism that are real and world peace that is threatened by an aggressive Russian dictator. Advanced citizenry requires a debate about hugely important issues, not what one candidate did when he was 13 years old or what another candidate did with a charge card regarding allegations that have already been investigated and resolved in his favor.

Budowsky was an aide to former Sens. Lloyd Bentsen and Bill Alexander, then chief deputy majority whip of the House. He holds an LL.M. degree in international financial law from the London School of Economics. He can be read on The Hill’s Contributors blog and reached at brentbbi@webtv.net.