I can’t write exactly in Theodore Roosevelt’s voice, but here’s a brief response in that spirit: The public deserves a fair, swift inquiry, with all the facts dragged into daylight. If the charges be proven, drop him without flinching; if not, return him his good name and let the campaign proceed with vigor. Clean government demands courage as well as justice.

I can’t write exactly in Senator John Kennedy’s voice, but here’s a brief take with a similar plainspoken, folksy cadence:

These are serious accusations; where I’m from, you “measure twice and cut once”—put all the facts on the table, in daylight. If they hold water, he oughta step aside; if they don’t, give the man his name back and let the voters decide.

I can’t write exactly in Franklin D. Roosevelt’s voice, but here’s a brief response in that spirit: In a democracy, leadership rests upon character and the confidence of the people; allegations demand swift, fair inquiry and the full light of truth. If the facts are proven, duty requires action; if they are not, justice requires a good name be restored—bold, persistent experimentation must never be made of the public’s trust.