Editorial: Presidential character, honesty matter. Congress needs to account for Trump

It is painful to watch and listen to President Donald Trump. There seems to be no end to the deception, disrespect, arrogance, meanness and plain old lying.

This has nothing to do with politics or policies. It is all about character and the corruption of core values.

Sound familiar?

Do we care about presidential character – particularly of our current president? We should. What is forgivable about his constant lying? Nothing.

Should it be passed off with a dismissive – well, that’s just politics? No. Lying is not about politics.

North Carolina voters didn’t elect senators who would tolerate lying – especially on the scale exhibited by Trump. Yet Thom Tillis and Richard Burr haven’t uttered a peep of concern. They owe their constituents an explanation.

There’s hardly a Republican in the House of Representatives – certainly none among North Carolina’s delegation – who will offer even a mildly cautionary reproach. They play along – even cheerlead.

Is it OK to abandon common decency, civility and truthfulness? Mark Meadows, Mark Walker, Richard Hudson, George Holding, Patrick McHenry, David Rouzer, Ted Budd and Virginia Foxx, what do you have to say?

Congressional candidates – Third District Republicans Greg Murphy and Joan Perry and Democrat Allen Thomas along with Ninth District Republican Dan Bishop and Democrat Dan McCready – tell the voters where you stand. Are you OK with a president whose lying corrupts our democracy? Why is that OK?

What does Donald Trump have to do – how extreme does it have to get – before Congress does its job. That job is to stand up to lying, demand the president tell the truth and act within the Constitution.

Even in Donald Trump’s Washington character must count. Demanding that a president is honest and his comportment match the high station of the office isn’t liberal or conservative. It’s the duty of Congress.

Honesty and integrity must matter.