That's just wrong

I know I said last week that I try to focus on things that aren't big in the media, but I've noticed a disturbing trend lately that I felt to compelled to comment on. Just because something is legal, that doesn't make it right. I'll say another way - legality is not a gauge for acceptable behavior.

The Republican Party has again found itself caught up in scandal. Just in case you've been in a cave (which according to Mr. Bin Laden doesn't mean you can't stay connected using Cingular's "Militants and Mullahs" plan), you've noticed that two big stories are developing involving senior leadership in the Republican Party. Tom Delay has been indicted on conspiracy and "Scooter" Libby was revealed as the source that leaked the name of CIA agent Mrs. Wilson. I'm not here to comment on the specifics of the stories, but the larger problem of the "legal vs. wrong" mentality that their actions represent.

We'll start with Scooter. Back in the quaint days of summer 2003, Robert Novak wrote an article that released the name of an active CIA agent. The source was confidential, but pointed to someone in the White House. The administration came out strong and said it would deal with anyone there that was involved in any "wrong doing." As the story developed, it became obvious that it was indeed someone in the W.H. and not just some faceless staffer they could give the Chappaquiddick treatment. The very next time the administration spoke on the issue, there was a slight change in the language; they would deal with anyone that had been involved in something "illegal."

Now, by the letter of the law, the Scootmeister did nothing illegal. Trust me, I've seen enough Law & Order in my life to understand the judicial process and interpret federal statute. Mrs. Wilson wasn't serving in a "Secret Agent" capacity at the time, so her identity wasn't a matter of National Security. What Libby did do was leak her CIA status as a political maneuver to discredit her husband's findings that Iraq had not actually tried to smuggle in "Yellow Cake" Uranium for nuclear weapons. It might not have been illegal, but it was wrong. Attacking the integrity of a former ambassador through his wife is pretty low.

How do I know? Because my Uncle Earl taught me a simple premise in life: "If you've got a problem with someone, face him mano-e-mano. Leave his family out of it." Of course, he also had some interesting ideas on the role of sheep in family life, but that's another story all together.

Now we've also got Tom Delay standing up and saying he did nothing illegal by Gerrymandering the voting districts in Texas. Look up Gerrymandering in the dictionary and tell me if it sounds like something "wrong" to you. Again, it isn't illegal and the actual charges stem from the way he went about it. But let's face it, you can't go around farting in faces and giggling about it and expect people to just go along with it and not try to kick you out of the room. There might not be a law against farting, but that doesn't mean you should abuse the fact. This is exactly what Delay did (not the farting, but the Gerrymandering). So a prosecutor finally found something that Delay did that might be illegal and brought charges against him. It is a lot like getting Al Capone for tax evasion instead of murder.

Another example harkens back to the 2002 congressional race. Max Cleland was an incumbent senator from Georgia. Sen. Cleland had been to Vietnam and seen, in most people's opinion, the very worst war had to offer. He returned from the jungle with only one arm. In 2002, the big issue was the build up to Homeland Security and Iraq. Sen. Cleland voted against the President's Homeland Defense Bill, but voted for an almost identical bill drawn up by Democratic lawmakers.

Enter Saxby Chambliss. While running against Cleland, the honorable Mr. Chambliss used a political campaign ad that attacked Cleland for being soft on terror and Homeland Security. The ad wasn't illegal, but it was wrong. Not because it said Cleland was soft, but because it insinuated that Cleland was "with" the terrorist by showing pictures of Saddam and Osama and pointing out that Cleland didn't try to stop these people.

So, I'll let you make the call - is it "wrong" to mischaracterize a triple amputee Vietnam vet as being aligned with terrorist and dictators? Common logic says yes, it is "wrong." Of course, in the interest of full disclosure, MoveOn.org had items on their website that put Bush in a similar light by comparing him to Hitler. But I don't really look to Moby as a bastion of moral rectitude the way I do a U.S. Senator (Chambliss won, in case you were curious).

All is fair in love and war and apparently the Republicans are at war. War or not, I'm personally pretty fed up with the "It's not illegal" argument. It is not illegal to cheat on my wife with a 15 year old girl in Mississippi, but it doesn't make it right.

I realize that both sides are guilty of this legal doublespeak, but it still doesn't make it "right." When are we going to demand more from our elected officials? I don't expect people to be perfect, but at the same time, I expect my civic leaders to at least try. Look, I'm not the answer guy, so I don't know how to change it, but it is enough to drive a man to drink … Come on, did you think I'd get through a whole article without mentioning alcohol? Well, now that's just wrong!

Brock Tanner does his research for this column in his underwear. He can be found throwing half-full beer cans at the television every time a Fox News Alert plays and its Greta Van Susteren talking about someone "missing." Contact him at brocktanner@hobotrashcan.com.