I don't really want to, but this piece of crap Insty pointed to

just about requires comment. Short version: Rangel and Waters are facing charges mainly because the system is messed up and they didn't really do anything wrong.

Absolute effing horseshit.

If a congressman dodging taxes and violating ethics rules isn't actually 'wrong', then what the hell is it? That's a 'system' problem my ass.

On Ms. Waters, the charges relate to conflicts involving her husband's business. Unless the House is going to start hauling in every member with a potential conflict -- half of them seem to have spouses or children who are lobbyists, and the others seem to have businesses affected by tax or trade laws, government regulations, or government contracts -- it's hard to see how the House guardians of ethics are better suited to judge the matter than are the voters in Ms. Waters' district.
That's part of the damned PROBLEM, you dumbass! And I'm effing sick to death of people making excuses for this and the crooked politicians, excuses for garbage like this:
The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that the high-and-mighty Waters had a personal and financial stake in Boston-based OneUnited, a minority bank that received $12 million in TARP money under smelly circumstances. The banks’ executives donated $12,500 to her congressional campaigns. Her husband, Sidney Williams, was an investor in one of the banks that merged into One United. They’ve profited handsomely from their relationship with the bank:

Oh, and if Rangel is actually all that fond of the idea that the capital gains tax should apply to only real, after-inflation gains, why the hell didn't he do something about it? He's been writing the effing tax laws he broke, hasn't he?

Bleep. Bleep. Bleep.