Washington and Lincoln remind us of what we need and hope to get in our next president

It's a nice coincidence that Presidents Day falls on the same week as the Democratic Presidential Forum in Carson City.

It's a day that brings to mind two of our country's greatest leaders, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Both were men of uncompromising integrity and honesty, and we'll be watching closely to see if we can detect a glimmer of those traits in any of the candidates who will be here this week.

A cynic might say that Washington and Lincoln would be doomed as presidential candidates in this day and age because of their unwillingness to bend from their core values. Today, serious candidates who intend to raise the money necessary to succeed are put through the wringer of special-interest groups, and must withstand intense scrutiny of every aspect of their personal lives. What comes out the other side too often are candidates unwilling to say what they really believe, and, as a result, little gets accomplished.

An optimist would say that we're merely waiting for a voice that rises above the gummed-up political machinery that has made us a country where everyone talks about reform but nothing ever gets done.

In fact, what decides this election may not really have anything to do with the issues. The candidates' positions are already well documented and reported, and, for many of them, there are surprisingly small differences of opinion.

What our country needs is the voice of a real leader, someone like Washington or Lincoln who held firmly to their core values no matter how unpopular their positions became.

For the sake of our country, we hope we hear that voice in Carson City this week.