Jackson, Mississippi Mayor Frank Melton has already become the joke of the blawgosphere for uttering these immortal words:

“I certainly respect the Constitution, but we have some issues that are much bigger than the Constitution.”

So says, Radley Balko, Boing Boing and Reason.  Melton’s big issue?  Saggy pants. But neither the ridiculous quote nor the inane issue makes Melton the worst mayor in America.  Indeed, it strikes me that he’s right in the middle of the pack, being painfully average.

Having spent some time around those who would climb the pedestal to local prominence, both before and after the ascension, I can attest to an affliction that seems epidemic: They suddenly confuse themselves with the law.  Overnight, literally, they believe that they ARE the law.  They believe that whatever idea pops into their minds is, by definition, important.  And they believe that whatever solution came to them in a dream is, inherently, the right solution.

The very day before the weight of office was laid upon their shoulders, they sought advice and counsel, doubted that they alone held all the answers, and expressed their desire to transcend the limitations of a single individual’s thoughts.  But the next day, the pressure was too much to bear, the crown too tight, and an omniscient monster emerged.

This affliction isn’t limited to mayors of towns large and small.  Richard Nixon suffered from it.  Dick Cheney still does.  It doesn’t afflict every mayor, but most.  Some hide it while others flaunt it. 

Most suffer this affliction in silence.  Not because they fear telling anyone of it, but because no one asks the right questions.  Indeed, they don’t see it as an affliction at all, but rather as their raison d’être, to be the Messiah and save their charges from whatever terrible evil they see through their foggy vision.  In Melton’s case, it was the dreaded saggy pants. 

There is no cure for this affliction.  Worse still, it cannot be treated through the election of another as mayor, for the likelihood is strong that the next mayor will suffer from the affliction as well. 

As lawyers, there is a strong chance that we know these people, perhaps even advise these people, who suffer from this affliction. Often we seek to serve these people, as they require lawyers to aid them in accomplishing tasks and solving problems bigger than the Constitution.  It’s important that we never forget it exists, as it is contagious.