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When a congressman goes after a lawyer whose organization filed an ethics complaint against him (in his capacity as Colorado's secretary of state), you know he is more interested in getting even than he is in the public interest. Getting even, however, is not what public servants should be doing.

No one does unethics like Chicago. It's been four months since I've written about the city, so it's long overdue.

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At a University of Washington panel on Thursday, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Patrick J. Fitzgerald, known most recently for his investigation and arrest of Gov. Blagojevich, spoke about corruption in government and what can be done about it.

Check out this excellent look at Vincent J. Fumo, a Pennsylvania state senator who "made no distinction between the personal and the political." Of special interest is his intimidating treatment of his staff.

My earlier blog entry on Fumo.

It's good to see that, upon his death, attention is being given to the life of Donald C. Alexander, the IRS Commissioner who stood up to President Nixon at the end of Nixon's time in office.

According to the New York Times obituary, among Alexander's accomplishments was disbanding the Special Services Staff of the IRS, which had been investigating Nixon's critics. Alexander said he did it because "political or social views, 'extremist' or otherwise, are irrelevant to taxation."

According to an article in yesterday's Nevada Appeal, the Nevada Commission on Ethics has appealed the district court decision which removed its jurisdiction over state legislators participating in legislative conduct.