Hey all, I haven't seen this posted yet, but forgive me if it is. This is in the Washington Post and titled, "Loyalty to My Country"
Washington Post opinion
I found a couple parts extremely important (under the fold)
This was a difficult, even painful, decision. My affection and respect for the Clintons run deep. I do indeed owe President Clinton for the extraordinary opportunities he gave me to serve him and this country. And nobody worked harder for him or served him more loyally, during some very difficult times, than I did.
Carville and others say that I owe President Clinton's wife my endorsement because he gave me two jobs. Would someone who worked for Carville then owe his wife, Mary Matalin, similar loyalty in her professional pursuits? Do the people now attacking me recall that I ran for president, albeit unsuccessfully, against Sen. Clinton? Was that also an act of disloyalty?
I can only say that we need to move on from the politics of personal insult and attacks. That era, personified by Carville and his ilk, has passed and I believe we must end the rancor and partisanship that has mired Washington in gridlock. In my view, Sen. Obama represents our best hope of replacing division with unity. That is why, out of loyalty to my country, I endorse him for president.
Loyalty to a single person is what has gotten Bush into so much trouble. It creates a culture of "yes" men/women, and leads to a president who out of loyalty refuses to jettison someone who is obviously incompetent (Heckuva job Brownie comes to mind)
Loyalty is repaid to the country, not to any single person. We elect our officials to serve us, not the person that got them in their position. Richardson took an oath to preserve, protect, and defend the USA, not the Clintons.