A Stitch in Haste

As I was scanning my aggregator, this picture in a feed caught my eye:



I had no idea what the news story was before I reflexively thought: What kind of ego-deficient loser needs to strut around with four stars on his collar? Police departments stop using rank equivalents at "captain." Does his department have Brigadier, Major and Lieutenant Generals too, I wondered?

Then I read the accompanying story and suddenly I was no longer surprised:

Orange County's [California] sheriff has been charged with accepting bribes in exchange for political favors and pressing a witness to lie as authorities investigated whether he used his office to enrich himself.

The case against Michael S. Carona purportedly involves more than $350,000 in cash and gifts, as well as a "get out of jail free card" for a wealthy appointee whose son was arrested twice, according to a federal indictment unsealed Tuesday. Also named in the indictment were Carona's wife and a woman identified as his longtime mistress.
...
Carona is accused of accepting gifts from unnamed Orange County businessmen, including ringside tickets to an Oscar De La Hoya and Felix Trinidad boxing match in Las Vegas; Mont Blanc pens; and luxury box seats to see the Angels in the World Series playoffs. His wife allegedly accepted designer suits and a Cartier watch valued at about $15,000. Carona also appointed his wife to the Orange County Fair board of directors.
...
CNN's Larry King called him "America's Sheriff," a nickname that still appears on Carona's official biography.

It's quite simple really: Sheriffs should not be celebrities. Those who seek out the spotlight cannot possibly warrant the appellation "public servant" and are no less morally defective than any power-hungry politician.