The irony is that we have brought the decline in the quality of politicians down on ourselves by removing so many of the opportunities for corruption. Most of the great statesmen (and -women) of history were at least slightly crooked. By screening out anyone who is selfish motives we may be screening out brilliance as well.

Pay peanuts and you get monkeys - pay them more and you get monkeys with a more refined palate.
It would have been easier to identify those politicians who have some real life experience; it would have been a short list.