O'Brien Charged

How appropriate that the day in which Conrad Black gets sentenced for 6 ½ years our own Mayor Larry O’Brien is charged with influence peddling. O’Brien renown for his boastful self-confidence, upon hearing of their charges, quickly asserted his innocence. Yet, like Black he seems oblivious to the serious nature of these charges. These charges strike directly at Larry 0’s legitimacy. The charges are directly related his election as Mayor, and he cannot simply refer to his presumption of innocence. In any profession when claims are made of inappropriate actions in one’s functions (think teacher’s, police, etc), the subject is suspended until full resolution of the matter. The case is even stronger in the context of politicians. While we all live under the presumption of innocence, politicians have a special responsibility to step aside when charged with offences related to their functions in office. This is especially important since the charges are direclty and immediately related to O'Brien getting the job in the first place. Mayor O'Brien should do the right thing and step aside until he is cleared.