The accusations against Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, are lamentable but, in a strange way, oddly refreshing. They represent a return to normalcy in Washington after four years of the bizarro world of the Biden administration and its unprecedented cast of oddballs.

The rumors of Hegseth’s carousing are regrettable because, if true (a big if), we really should prefer men of character and order in our highest positions of power and responsibility, particularly heading up the world’s mightiest military machine. This august magazine became famous in the 1990s for its epic exposés exposing Commander-in-Chief Bill Clinton exposing himself to everyone from the girl interns to the lunch ladies. One recalls the sage advice of the little general, H. Ross Perot, saying of Bill Clinton that if a man will lie to his wife, well, he’ll lie to you, too.

The venerable Harry Truman, renowned for his character, said the same. The man from Independence, Missouri was loyal to his wife Bess, and to his country. He tapped from the Army a man of unimpeachable character, the legendary George C. Marshall.

That said, I do regret to concede that the days of such sterling individuals seem to have long passed us. There simply aren’t many George Marshalls marching around anymore.