The connection between prominent political leaders and the causes they come to be associated with is often very strong in the minds of the members of the general public. Think of FDR and the New Deal or Ronald Reagan's anti-government beliefs. These men came to embody their philosophies.

One big downside to such connections is that when one individual leader's career flames out as the result of some peccadillo or other personal transgression unrelated to the actual issues he or she stood for, it can often wreak undeserved havoc with the cause. Right now, in North Carolina (aka "Corruption Central") we're seeing plenty of examples of this guilt-by-association politics.

With the absurd self-destructions of sometime-progressives, Mike Easley and John Edwards, it seems as if all who have ever held positive feelings about the men or any of the issues they championed are on the defensive.

This has only been worsened by the incessant attacks of conservative politicians, talk show hosts and bloggers. Scarcely a day goes by when Easley or Edwards isn't derided by one of these ideologues as a "liberal" or "big government" Democrat -- as if shady, insider deal-making and marital infidelity and narcissism were somehow a function of progressive politics.

Of course, this is a ridiculous result and makes about as much sense as condemning all conservative Christians because a handful of TV preachers have proven to be frauds.

As local good government advocate Bob Hall put it on the Democracy North Carolina Web site recently, sleaze is a "buy-partisan" matter. Hall rightfully noted that North Carolina conservative activists and political types ought to be careful when they attempt to turn malfeasance by public officials into a partisan or ideological issue. There are plenty of conservative Republican crooks and philanderers out there.

The truth is that the real sources of corruption (and probably even a lot of marital infidelity) are power and greed -- power because one usually has to have some in order to have something to "sell" and greed because one has to be willing to puts one's own self-interest ahead of the public good.

This last point about greed highlights another interesting fact. If there is a popular modern ideology that is more closely connected to (and used to self-justify) greedy behavior by politicians, it is the "me-first," "every person for him or herself" ideology of modern, market fundamentalist capitalism.

This is not to say that more conservative politicians are corrupt. Rather, it is to point out the obvious fact that we live in a time in which the conservative, "greed is good" ideology is ascendant in our culture. Politicians are people too. They see the way modern America celebrates the individual entrepreneurs and giants of industry who "make something of themselves." Not surprisingly, many of them identify with that approach and view their public service as, at least in part, connected to their personal climb.

Unfortunately, the conservative, "free market," "greed is good" ideology has come to so permeate our culture that it's almost impossible for any officeholder who's not already extremely wealthy -- whatever his or her party -- to escape its tug. These people get elected to office and see the money and other perks being thrown around by corporations and other moneyed interests and find it impossible to resist. Pretty soon they're looking in the mirror each morning and telling themselves that their own greedy behavior is just part of "how things work in America."

Sadly, they may be right. But it hasn't always been this way. No matter what the conservative propaganda machine says, there have been periods in which the common good was widely elevated over the acquisition of wealth and in which, as a result, fewer politicians fell prey to temptation.

Let's hope that in addition to boosting new and tougher state ethics laws, the Easley and Edwards episodes can also be used as a part of an effort to push back against the influence of the "greed is good" ideology in our culture.

Perhaps more people will come to see that, while conservatives may be leading the charge in attacking the misdeeds of Easley and Edwards, in many ways they're reaping a result they have helped sow.

Rob Schofield is the director of research and policy development at NC Policy Watch.