Relax. When it comes the discussion of corrupt public officials, the bar is much lower than it is with private individuals. Since trust in the system is so impo

Relax. When it comes the discussion of corrupt public officials, the bar is much lower than it is with private individuals. Since trust in the system is so important, even the appearance of corruption can be as open to criticism as corruption itself, which is obviously harder to demonstrate. Simply tolerating the possibility of abuse invites distrust, making those who tolerate it reasonable targets for sharp skepticism (e.g. the NSA). Of course, government is shot through with conflicts, both obvious and hidden. And people getting criticized for these ignore them and the criticism routinely. But that doesn't change the fact that you don't have to know something is rotten to speak up. The mere appearance of rot is, in and of itself, a problem. And yes, what's happening in West Texas looks REALLY shady.