Jeffrey Gamso posted a comment on my blog about my comment on one of his posts - if you can follow that. Anyway, another post by Gamso got me thinking about why I am so cynical about politicians. I used to work at a DA's office that allegedly had no plea bargaining, except there was. It was just done by the probation office rather than the prosecutor, the elected voice of the people. Now, saying "I don't bargain with criminals" is shorthand for saying you are tough on crime. I get that. But the effect of doing that is to give away your voice in the courtroom and to allow another arm of the state, one controlled by the judge (and probably against the canon of judicial ethics), to do exactly the same thing you were railing against. Steve Simmons was one dishonest bastard. There, I said it and I feel better. Thanks Jeff, for bringing that out of me.