The Mingling of Private and Public Life

It's often said, "What someone does in private has no bearing on their public life." Usually you hear this when a public official admits to some moral indiscretion and then insists they can still do their job well.

That axiom got tested recently when Kansas Attorney General Paul Morrison admitted having an affair-- while running for office and into his first term. Initially, he said he would remain in office. He could still "do his job." But quickly, political pressures forced him to resign.

So what was Morrison doing on the job? Today, Steve McIntosh of KNSS Radio-1330 Wichita reports:

Records show Morrison spent nearly eleven-thousand minutes on the phone with his mistress over the first ten months of this year. That’s 35 minutes a day talking to Linda Carter, his former employee. She’s the one who filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Morrison. He resigned … admitting an affair but nothing more.

Paul Morrison spent 75 work hours on the phone with his girlfriend. That’s more time than many workers get for vacation in a year. Sure makes you wonder about the Attorney General’s productivity. Anyone who can spend that much time on personal phone calls must have a pretty laid-back appointment schedule.

35 minutes a day! I guess that means Ms Carter is “high maintenance”. Or maybe Morrison is a terrible time manager. Or maybe he simply lacked respect for his employers, the people of Kansas.

Your private life? It matters. And it does affect your public work.