JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING IS LEGAL, DOESN'T MEAN IT IS RIGHT

Recently, I was at a social gathering. Wonderful group of folks, celebrating a bunch of kids running the San Francisco Half Marathon. As we chowed down on bagels and an assortment of unhealthy eats. (Well, there was fruit), we drifted, as we usually do, into politics. Not a good move. Anyway, across the table was this economics professor at one of the local Universities. I had already sized him up as a Republican and then was surprised to hear that he voted for the President in the last election. He added, however, that he was unsure for this one and definitely would not vote for our local rep, Nancy Pelosi. I concurred on the basis of the Sixty Minutes story where she was profiled as making millions on insider trading. As we learned in the Sixty Minutes' program, Congress was not subject to the same rules about insider trading as the rest of us. We go to jail. They make millions. Pelosi's defense was that she didnot do anything illegal. What about unethical and immoral. Just because it is legal, doesn't make it right in my estimation.

To my right was a female attorney. Her defense of Pelosi was novel, at least I had not heard it before. Pelosi should not be held accountable for this transgression even if it was immoral, unethical, whatever. Her support of her congresswoman was unwavering as Pelosi spoke to many issues that were important to Californians--Pelosi should get a pass. We chatted a bit longer and all reasoning did not prevail. Plus, she used an oft repeated view that if Pelosi were held accountable, so should all politicians as they all do the same thing. The fact that the loophole had now been closed with a bill making Congress play by the same rules as all of us didn't play with her. When the bill was first Introduced, only a couple of congressmen signed on. After the 60 Minites story, over a hundred did. In the debate, it sailed through. When the president signed the bill, not surprisingly, Congresswoman Pelosi was not present for the occasion.

The big point is there is no convincing this person that Pelosi has forfeited her good will. Forget it. To me, as basically an "Independent," this is why our system is broken. We are willing to accept unethical behavior, whatever from elected officials as long as our own self interests are met. MY BELIEF.
As my cowboy hero Gus, in the TV mini series, "Lonesome Dove" said in reply to a question of giving up on driving a herd of cows from Texas to Montana. "No, I try to always get where I'm going when I started out. And, it's the right thing to do."