They want service above self. In their absence, trust suffers. The president set the defining tone, with his finger-wagging bald lie and many lesser prevarications. But he's by no means alone. Certain state senators, lionized as experts in the most minute aspects of the legislative process, profess shock at the self-dealing detailed in federal indictments.
Senators defeat ethics legislation, then set off on golf and fishing outings with lobbyists.
They proclaim there's no conflict in accepting such favors, not even in appearance. If they happen to vote the interests of their hosts, it is only, they say, because of the merit of their arguments, not their greens fees. The governor disclaims any role in the hiring and firing of top executives at departments he controls. Members of the state Public Service Commission refuse to talk to the public. Wal-Mart says it is a simple business decision to refuse to sell a contraceptive pill that can be taken after sex.