A common mantra of politicians is something along the line of “let the people decide.”

The claim, of course, is false.  Politicians, as a rule, don’t give a damn about what “the people” think and realize that most people feel the same way about the politicians.

For convicted felon Bob McDonnell, former governor of Virginia, “letting the people decide” would put him in prison for his crimes against the Commonwealth.

“The people” want McDonald to spend some time behind bars for her part of the illegal solicitation of payoffs and bribes from former and disgraced dietary drug kingpin Jonnie Williams.

“The strong pubic support for prison times demonstrates the extent to which the public is furious with ethical misconduct in Richmond,” Mary Washington political science professor Stephen Farnsworth told The Associated Press.  “These results demonstrate the depth of voter anger with politicians who are thought to take better care of the well-connected than of ordinary citizens.  Lawmakers ignore this resentment at their peril.”

A poll of 1,000 Virginians by Princeton Survey Associated International found 60 percent wanted to see McDonnell in the slammer.  Even a majority of Republicans (57 percent) wanted prison time for one of their own.

McDonnell and his wife race a sentencing hearing on Jan. 6.  Both could spend a decade or more in prison.