Are You Feeling “Tickled” by Massa?

by Gordon Cooper

From Broader View Weekly, March 18, 2010

As the smoking contrail of Eric Massa’s political career slowly and mercifully fades from the national skyline, the residents of New York’s 29th District can ask themselves some key questions. I will not recount the details of the accusations against him or the rambling of his varied responses to those accusations other than to say that I do not think I have ever witnessed a “tickle fight” between a grown man and a group of subordinates.

The first question that needs to be answered is, of course, a serious inquiry about how we are going to replace our former representative. Obviously, a special election must be held as soon as possible and, as Steuben County officials have already stated, the expenses for this election will be carried by local municipalities. As of this writing, the Democrats, taken by surprise, have yet to name a candidate. As if we needed any further proof of Massa’s self-centered way of thinking, this is another example of someone acting with total disregard for the consequences of his actions upon others.

Another question for the voters, and not just for those in this district, is whether there are any men or women out there who are immune to the pathogens that seem to infect anyone exposed to political power.

I understand that a certain personality type is necessary for anyone who chooses to venture into the political arena. First of all, one must possess an above average opinion of her or his own abilities and capabilities. This confidence may not be a detriment in itself, as a tolerable level of self-confidence is a positive attribute in a healthy self-image. However, as with most wild beasts, self confidence – if overfed by fawning press coverage, generous donors and the ever-present clingers that seem to follow and attach themselves to those in authority – will turn fat and sassy.

What we saw as we watched Massa’s embarrassing performances on Glen Beck and Larry King was the picture of a man who embodied the narcissism and megalomania that is the final stage of poisoned self-confidence. I cringed when I saw him pull the well-traveled and pre-arranged prop of his x-ray film to bolster his claim that he was indeed suffering from a lingering cancer. I cringed again when I heard Beck reference the fact that Massa’s wife was observing this whole debacle from a nearby seat.

I realize there may be some truth to Massa’s claim that Rahm Emanuel and Steny Hoyer had an interest in seeing Massa’s beady-eyed visage removed from the picture of the Democrat side of the House of Representatives. I do not doubt the validity of the story that intimidation and pressure exists within the halls and …um…shower stalls of our Capitol. However, I also believe Massa’s repeated and boisterous tales of the bawdy elements of that part of the story were designed to take our mental vision apparatus from focusing on the image of a randy, hypersexual (and possibly bisexual), older man preying upon the bodies of younger subordinates.

Another question that comes to mind is whether we should have seen something within Massa that could have alerted us to this possibility. We all know of his utterly arrogant statement that he will gladly and quickly vote against the wishes of at least 80% of his constituents if he believed it was better for us. We all heard his obsessive references to his service in the U.S. Navy, as if we needed (or perhaps he needed) assurance that he was all man. Now, I am certainly not qualified to do a long-distance (or even an intimate) psychological evaluation of our former representative, but I am qualified to say that certain personality traits do present themselves as ready hosts for the parasitic elements that eat away at the soul.

So, what do we do now as Massa slinks away to some distant cave? Well, first of all, we should say a solemn and sincere prayer for him and his wife. For him to find the courage to seek her forgiveness and for her to gain the courage to go on in this new and uncomfortable world he has constructed for her and his children.

Obviously, we should also be more diligent in vetting the next candidate before we entrust her or him with our vote. But beyond that, we should also realize the old adage that: “Power always corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely” is still holding true, and we can expect to see corruption as long as we have money and politics so tightly entwined.

In conclusion, we can and should feel a little unease when we realize that Massa has “tickled” (in more than one way) all of his constituents with his actions. But, even with that realization, we need to see the person behind the man and allow some much needed privacy for him and his family as they try to deal with the failures of their father and husband.