Wordsmith Richard Cohen: Identifies DC Affliction, Congressional Sclerosis
From the Washington Post

But he (Charlie Rangel) suffers from the degenerative disease called Congressional Sclerosis. Its symptom is the belief that the rules, especially the petty ones, no longer apply to you. This happens over time. It comes with seniority and a sense of victimization that combine to produce the onset of entitlement for goodies to which, in the course of things, you are not entitled. All this is abetted by the righteous belief that everyone else is making money and taking private planes and dipping their tootsies in the balmy Caribbean on a given February Friday -- and so why can't you? You have the power and the staff -- just look at all those people! -- and flunkies who will hold the elevator for you, pick you up at Reagan National Airport and on the other end at La Guardia -- and you ought to have some commensurate luxuries.

The list of Democrats afflicted with this malady is long and distinguished and there are only two cures, jail or "throw the bums out". I vote for the former.