Why do we elect these people?

Unfortunately, most voters are too busy with their daily problems to take notice of anything short of 10 second evening news sound-bites, and the media, being solidly in the liberal camp, avoid any negative stories about their chosen party members. The typical modus operandi of the left-wing crowd is to make wild, unfounded claims against members of the opposite party, then, once the damage has been allowed to fester for a day or two, apologize for being a little imprudent in their remarks. Black Florida congressman, Alcee Hastings said in a speech that black and Jewish voters should not support Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin because "anybody toting guns and stripping moose don't care too much about what they do with Jews and blacks." The next day, garbage dumper Hasting swept up a few scraps and said, "I regret the comments I made last Tuesday that were not smart and certainly not relevant to hunters or sportsmen,"
You may remember Hastings; before becoming a U.S. Representative, he was a district judge who was charged with accepting a $150,000 bribe in exchange for giving a lenient sentence to Frank and Thomas Romano on 21 counts of racketeering, He was later also charged of perjury in his sworn testimony about the case. The House of Representatives took up the case, and concluded by impeaching Hastings for bribery and perjury by a vote of 413-3. Then the U.S. Senate investigated and convicted him, which made him only the sixth federal judge in history that the Senate removed from office. The Senate also had the option to forbid Hastings from ever seeking any federal office again, but, good old boys that they are, they did not do so. No amount of facts seem to dissuade American voters from electing and re-electing crooks like Hastings.