Charlie White either doesn't get it or doesn't care:
Almost as soon as he was indicted on seven felony charges Thursday afternoon, pressure began mounting for Secretary of State Charlie White to step aside, with people in both parties -- including Gov. Mitch Daniels -- saying it's wrong for Indiana's top elections official to serve under the cloud of alleged voter fraud, theft and perjury.
White's immediate reaction: No.
This really isn't complicated. The person who is in charge of keeping Indiana elections honest and fair cannot serve in that capacity when he is facing charges that he broke the very laws the secretray of state is supposed to enforce. He will have no credibility at all -- why should other campaigning politicians pay any attention to him? Only a felony conviction can force him from office, but common sense should tell him to either resign or at least step aside temporarily.
The rules he's supposed to oversee and follow are laws, not suggestions. Following them means to the letter, not merely "in the spirit of." Whether he's right that he made an honest mistake in voting and running in the wrong district or whether his accusers are right that he lied about his address to deliberately and wrongfully deceive voters and keep his town council seat, he can't serve while the case is pending.
