Commentary: Politicians need to change ways, or election will

ST. PAUL -- It is no wonder people distrust politicians and other governmental leaders today.

Dean Johnson said he talked to a Supreme Court justice about the gay marriage issue. Chief Justice Russell Anderson said the conversation never happened.

It reminds one of a 1970 Johnny Cash song, with a twist. The new lyrics should be, "The lonely voice of the public asks, 'What is truth?'"

This controversy may do more to damage politicians' reputation than last year's overtime special session or the 2004 session that accomplished next to nothing.

Johnson, a Willmar DFLer and Senate majority leader, admitted to embellishing the truth when he talked to the New London-Spicer Ministerial Association Jan. 19. That is when he told fellow clergy - he is a Lutheran minister and National Guard chaplain - that he had talked to all the state Supreme Court justices, and at least three agreed that the court would not overturn an existing law banning gay marriages.

The comments that he had received assurances from several justices eventually dwindled to his story that he bumped into one justice in the Capitol and they chatted for a minute on the gay marriage issue, never receiving assurances about how the court might rule.

But even that shell of Johnson's original story isn't true, Chief Justice Anderson said in a rare conference call with reporters. No justice ever has talked to Johnson about gay marriage. "This just didn't happen."

Johnson refused to talk after Anderson's call, other than to say he stood by his earlier statement that he briefly met with one justice.

"What is truth?"

Truth is in the minds of the beholder.

When asked if he ever embellished anything, House Speaker Steve Sviggum, R-Kenyon, said he may spin events in a way favorable to him, but he denied ever lying. To most Minnesotans, there may not be as much of a difference as he thinks.

The public is sick of politicians spinning the facts. Many of them cannot even directly answer a question.

Take Sen. Dan Sparks, DFL-Austin. The other day a reporter asked if a bill he was carrying had a chance of passing. He said: "I hope it does."

After Sparks added many, many words to his answer, the reporter interjected: "I know you hope your bill passes. I asked if it has a chance to pass."

Sparks' answer was like that of almost every politician, and probably even Supreme Court justices. They twist questions so they can give the answers they want.

House Minority Leader Matt Entenza, DFL-St. Paul, is the king at giving his own answer to any question. This year, for instance, he likes to answer nearly every question with something along the lines of: "Minnesotans' most important issues are education, health care and transportation."

In a news conference the other day, even Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty gave the Entenza answer to an unrelated question.

In interviews with politicians, reporters find that about half of their questions are not directly answered. Artful dodgers, you might call them.

It is time for politicians to change. With the public more and more turning a deaf ear to politicians and government officials, they risk the chance of becoming irrelevant because people just don't believe them.

The public has a chance to change that come Nov. 7; it's called an election.

Don Davis is Capitol correspondent for the Pioneer.