It's time to consider the causes which lead to Clinton's temporary victories and ultimate failures. These causes are clear and have one compelling implication. If we are to have honorable politicians we must sharply limit the role of government.

There is a highly constructive role for government but it is constrained by financial and behavioral verities. The federal government should provide national defense. Protect the weak from the strong. Safeguard property rights. Establish a system of courts to peacefully adjudicate conflicts. Keep people from injuring others, for example, by unlawful discrimination or polluting their air and water.

Our founders understood these principles and incorporated the underlying wisdom in our constitution.

When democratic governments function mainly to transfer wealth, opportunists of weak character rise to the top. America's founders understood this. They gave us checks and balances which make it difficult to use government as an engine of plunder. It still takes intelligence, skill and hard work to transfer new benefits to new claimants.

To obtain votes and campaign funds, candidates make conflicting promises to various interests, e.g., the Teamsters Union and other organized groups. Under these competitive circumstances, well funded and smart liars have the advantage.

Clinton's success is based on posturing concern for others to justify government power. He demonstrated that over the short run, intelligence, empathy, showmanship, timing, and profound amoralism are effective tools for political success.

We've neglected the founders admonitions and become a nanny state. With people competing for govermental largess, smart politicians of weak character win. Clinton's most important transgressions do not involve sexual predation and ripping through friends' lives like a tornado through trailer parks. However, these acts mark the flawed character that fosters political success. When government is used to grant favors to the well organized, political competition selects the unprincipled.

Electing people with Clinton's character is the logical consequence of politics directing our economy and society. This is not only an American problem. It is even more obvious in Japan. Whenever and wherever politicians use government to transfer wealth and direct the economy, corruption ultimately follows. This is especially dangerous in a multi-cultural, multi-racial society such as ours.

The process of politics eroding character is independent of political party. When government allocates wealth and preferences, character is tested. One demonstrates character when he stands by his principles when painful to do so. Successful politicians seldom do.

For example, when the Republicans' professed ideals of limited government conflict with payoffs from special interests, they abandon their ideals. Consider, for example, the gross hypocrisy of Republican support for Archer Daniel Midland, Inc. Forty plus % of that company's profits come from government programs that Republicans oppose on principle but accept on practicality.

The founders believed no one should be above the law. They anticipated the costs of abusing public authority to gain private ends. While they stressed the importance of "civic virtue", they knew we couldn't count on it to trump personal interests of those in power. That's why the Constitution provides for impeachment by the House and trial by the Senate.

We should expect politicians to plunder and prevaricate when they can avoid the costs. Here Clinton excels. His behavior, again putting sexual exploitation aside, is the predictable consequence of expanded governmental control.

His posturing is compelling to many well intended people. Protect women from sexual harassment, give more money to government schools, protect our environment by government planning and control. Build light rail to reduce congestion.

Americans generally support these goals but we are encouraged to ignore and discount future costs. Politicians hire consultants to fudge the data and PR firms to present it. They condemn those who have honest objections to predictable but unintended consequences of government programs. The ability to lie well is a huge advantage when government has an important role in the economy.

With these highly refined skills, one can fool a plurality of the people. And for people like Clinton, that's good enough. But he has shown us this is a short run strategy. He demonstrates that character determines destiny. This is the good lesson in his sordid story.

The founders got it right when they stressed the value of limited government. Under an activist government, temptations of political payoffs trump character. This is why we should cherish and reward principled politicians.

John Baden was a member of the National Petroleum Council for two terms.