Once upon a time, except in Louisiana and a few other locales, a public figure who was disgraced had the good sense to retire from the fray.

When former San Jose City Councilman Al Garza was convicted in a bribery scandal three decades ago, he did his time, returned to real estate and faded from view.

Any number of Illinois governors have marched off to prison and closed down their political ambitions without bothering with penance.

In recent times, however, I've noticed a disturbing trend. Like Freddy Krueger, politicians have been returning to the arena only a year or two after their fall.

Consider Anthony Weiner, who has announced his interest in running for New York mayor less than two years after an errant tweet showing his underpants led to his resignation from Congress.

FILE - In a Thursday, June 16, 2011 photo, U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner announces his resignation from Congress, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Former
FILE - In a Thursday, June 16, 2011 photo, U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner announces his resignation from Congress, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Former New York state Rep. Weiner has returned to the forum that led to his political downfall in 2011, launching a new Twitter account. Weiner s first post Monday, April 22, 2013 was decidedly not racy: a link to a 20-page policy statement outlining 64 Ideas to keep New York City the Capital of the Middle Class. ((AP Photo/Richard Drew, File))

Or take Mark Sanford, the former South Carolina governor of "Appalachian Trail" fame, who is now running for Congress in a campaign being undermined by his ex-wife.

Locally, we have a clutch of examples: Craig Mann keeps winning school trustee races despite being ensnared in a credit card mess at the East Side Union High School District in the early 2000s.

Ex-prosecutor Ben Field has become the head of the South Bay Labor Council and wielded political power despite being suspended from law practice in 2009 because of prosecutorial misconduct.

Former San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales, who was indicted on political corruption charges that were later dropped, has resurfaced as head of the Hispanic Foundation.

The Terminator

And former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was disgraced when it was revealed he had fathered an out-of-wedlock son with his maid, is trying a comeback in movies.

"The American public is very forgiving,'' political consultant Rich Robinson says. "And they have a very short memory. If you show remorse and you're basically still a good person, you have a chance. Sometimes you're even a better politician when you come back. Sometimes.''

One part of me wants to applaud this development. I've often thought that our puritan legacy is invoked too quickly to dismiss good public servants.

Former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, for example, became a reasonable TV commentator after a date with a prostitute drove him from office.

Mann, for all his baggage, continues to be one of the more perceptive people governing schools. Field was just on the "CEO Show'' hosted by Carl Guardino, the head of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group.

And yet, I wonder whether this is less about forgiveness and more about forgetfulness.

Name recognition

In an odd way, a scandal can help a politician. If the ultimate currency is name recognition, even negative publicity can be a bonus. People forget the details of the transgression.

There are exceptions, obviously. Anyone charged with sexual abuse of a child will find it all but impossible to return.

But for hum-drum scandals and shoddy personal behavior, there's hope for a comeback. That's why the most important penalty levied against ex-Supervisor George Shirakawa Jr. is not a potential jail term, however uncomfortable.

It's the ban against his running for office again in California. Freddy Krueger, begone.
