The first is ignorance. If Ma and Pa Kettle in the city can be excused for signing a horribly predatory lending deal and not getting a lawyer to explain the terms or even bothering to read the language then so should the Dodds, Conrads, etc. But if this is the case, do we really want a Senator who doesn't have an attorney review their contract or read and understand the mortgage text themselves to be in charge of writing law and approving foreign treaties? If these people were really so stupid as to not realize that rates ½, 1% or more below current market values were horribly low, and that the bottom line on his HUD-1 seemed a bit light, perhaps they should not be a position of authority where they have authority over the national spending? Or maybe this makes these Senators great examples of why the housing bailout should pass (it shouldn't). If even a lawmaker is too ignorant to understand a mortgage to the point where it looks blatantly obvious they took advantage of their position and got preferential terms then maybe everybody needs to be released from their contractual obligations with a massive taxpayer funded bailout. Everybody, of course, except for those who did their homework, found the best terms, didn't speculate on a risky unfixed variable rate, put a sizeable payment down for their home and only bought what they could afford. Those people don't deserve squat.

The second is that they knew what they were doing and thought the couple tens of thousands in savings would never be noticed and they believed they deserved the rate/fee cut. Slimey.

Either way, as port1080 says, perhaps they shouldn't be working in the public trust anymore.

Full disclosure: Originally I leaned toward Senator Dodd as the best choice for the Dems presidential nominee. I respected his stance on civil liberties and the retroactive immunity controversy. Now? Not so much.

As we are just finding out that McCain has a honey of a deal with Amex so that they don't charge him interest, even though the balance is like half a million.

I'll take that just on my piddling $5k card thank you.

I think we should have a system like many colleges do with cheating - relatively minimal oversight, but if you are caught cheating (or if you know someone is cheating but don't turn them in) you get kicked out immediately, first strike, no second chances.  Same should hold for politics - if you take money or bribes, if you receive favors, if you do anything inappropriate, and especially if you have a freezer full of cash (yes Mr. Jefferson, I'm looking at you) you should be out the door.  If that means we have to elect a whole new crop of Congresscritters every six months, well, so be it.  It's criminal how this is not only tolerated, but practically expected.  How can we criticize corruption in Africa or Asia when we let this garbage go on every day, right in front of our eyes?

Damn Republicans. Damn.