Standards

 Most of the talk about the Robert Gates memoir has been about his criticism of Obama and Clinton. Fair enough, but it is striking that Gates is much more harshly critical of Congress and yet these attacks on Congress have not produced much surprise, outrage, or even pushback.  Our political culture seems to expect a modicum of public spiritedness from our presidents and prospective presidents, but also seems comfortable with (or resigned to) the idea that the members of Congress are, as a group, only a step or two up from a criminal class.