The latest offender, New York Governor David Paterson, hasn't even gotten around to apologizing yet. In the meantime, he's apparently managed to convince himself that it's okay to phone up and intimidate a woman his top aide just viciously beat up. Then there's John Edwards. I've just finished reading The Politician by his aide, Andrew Young -- an irresistibly salacious takedown, but one that never gets near understanding Edward's breathtaking brazenness and utter obliviousness. Or how about the much-indicted Rod Blagjevich joining the cast of "The Apprentice?" while he awaits his own criminal trial -- and continues to profess his utter innocence despite dozens of tape recordings that make it clear exactly what he did.

Narcissism - suddenly the most overused word in the language -- simply doesn't do these guys justice. On a hunch, I decided to look up the word "sociopath," which it turns out isn't defined much differently than "psychopath." Here are some of the most common characteristics of both:

In Jim Collin's terrific book Good to Great, he concludes that great leaders are characterized by a paradoxical blend of fierce resolve and great humility. The politicians who've failed us most egregiously have no shortage of fierce resolve. What they're lacking is any authentic humility: the capacity to recognize and own their shortcomings alongside their strengths.

Most chilling of all, no form of treatment seems to work for the sociopathic personality. They want what they want when they want it. When they're caught, they may feel compelled to act better for a period of time, but they rarely really change. That's because they don't truly feel they've done anything wrong.

How do we get a better sense of who these guys really are? For my part, I'm going to start looking for politicians willing to tell us not just what they're going to do for us, but how they fall short.