Those who run should not hide

Is it too obvious to say that when someone runs for office, his or her life becomes an open book? Or, in today's terms, an easily accessed Web page?

Perhaps not. Some seem to forget that the minute they file, they enter a level of public scrutiny unparalleled in history. If there's information out there, someone will find it.

Patrick Maher, candidate for Cook County Board, learned that in an ugly way last week. After responding to newspaper questionnaires that he had no criminal background, Maher wrote in a Daily Herald survey that he had pleaded guilty to a brutal fight with a student over a girl while in college. His campaign blamed the original omission on a staffer. "The record's always been out. . . .There was no hiding of his past," a spokesman said.

But he hadn't exactly been forthright about it. Candidates are under tremendous pressure to look better than their opponents, who can and do make the slightest blemish into a deep wound when given the opportunity. Those seeking office fear the poor choices of their past might give voters pause.

Polls show trust is a major issue in elections. Like an unscrupulous dealer who doesn't mention that a used car on the lot failed its emissions test, candidates who willfully omit information are keeping the truth from possible future constituents. A voter may be sold on a candidate, only to find him untrustworthy later when a long-ago crime is revealed. Buyer beware.

In an information-crazed society, candidates delude themselves if they think they won't at some point have to deal with past brushes with the law.

This is not to discourage anyone from politics who has been at the wrong end of the law's long arm. Admirably, a handful of candidates have mentioned criminal offenses in response to questions from the Daily Herald, including speeding tickets, reckless driving offenses and even DUIs. Some offer an explanation, saying they have paid their debt to society. It's a gamble, but a good one.

In many cases, the American people have been forgiving to those who have displayed a lack of good judgment. Bill Clinton denied having "sexual relations with that woman." We learned he actually did, but we moved on. Henry Hyde's "youthful indiscretions" didn't stop Illinois voters from returning him to the U.S. House. Few among us want to cast the first stone.

Any type of law breaking should not be ignored, and some offenses, such as DUIs, are serious. The voting public must weigh them and other offenses against the good a candidate can offer.

There are plenty of opportunities for candidates to come clean on their own. If they don't, voters may find themselves asking: What else are you hiding?