Here at One Daily Link, we love when politicians try to keep their parties honest. It means principle has overridden party and an impulse for decency has kicked in. Sometimes that impulse inspires others to join in. Other times it doesn’t. Hopefully, John LeBoutillier’s column encouraging Republicans to jettison George Santos will prove an inspiration.

While Americans are required to have some tolerance for lying politicians, Santos is about twenty bridges too far. His resume isn’t just inflated but whole cloth. His catalog of grifts and lies grows more appalling by the day — recent reports allege he stole $3000 he’d raised under the guise of helping a homeless veteran’s cancer-stricken dog. This is in addition to him claiming his family hails from Ukraine (they don’t), he’s descended from Holocaust survivors (he isn’t), and his mother died in the World Trade Center on 9/11 (she didn’t). Ten years ago, the 9/11 lie alone would have gotten Santos pilloried by Republicans, but with their House majority so slim, they’re hanging onto him in the hopes the story dies down. It won’t. As yesterday’s link pointed out, the parties are in a sprint to prove who can be the adults in the room. Ignoring a needless liability as spectacular as Santos is not a strong start for Republicans. They need to be denouncing him, not seating him on committees. I highly doubt the caucus will take the steps LeBoutillier lays out in today’s link, but they have to show more backbone when it comes to getting rid of the New York congressman. Choosing principle over party definitely won’t win them a bigger majority in the short term, but it might next November. It is, after all, the adult thing to do.