The Humility of Loyalty

A lot has been said this past week regarding former White House spokesman Scott McClellan and his new tell-all book. Aside from the fact that it’s the stuff of yawns in this town, I haven’t really heard the word “loyalty” come up.

Sure, it’s been implied by every talking head from Ari Fleischer down the line, but never the pure use of the word, and the disdain that comes when that unspoken, solemn pledge is violated. Perhaps it’s the grip of this town — that in Washington, no holds are barred and all bets are off, especially when there’s a book advance at the end of your tenure. But loyalty, in Washington’s vernacular, is far different than the loyalty I was raised to know and practice. In this town, loyalty means “I cover you only so long as it benefits me.” Rephrased, it’s a new form of situational ethics, or: When the going gets tough, you’re on your own, mister.

No, I’m referring to the humility of loyalty — the deep-abiding respect that comes when you choose to align yourself with a leader/friend/boss. You’re so loyal to that individual that you are willing to humble your own pursuits and ambitions for the greater cause, no matter the course they wind you through. There’s a certain nobleness that must come with that loyalty — the commitment that you ultimately make to yourself, and the subsequent allegiance that comes with it.

That’s what most upsets me about Scott McClellan. I never knew the individual, but I do know that he fully understood all facets of the term loyalty, and he chose to subscribe to Washington’s brand. And so long as that brand goes unchecked and unashamed, then the humility of loyalty will always suffer.

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