"Newsweek" titled the latest check-bouncing scam by the U.S. Congress as "Rubbergate". Americans continue to be bombarded with improprieties of our political leaders, and "Rubbergate" will undoubtedly cost a number of congressmen their political careers.

Technically, the House Bank was not a bank. It was a cooperative of congressmen with guaranteed loans (overdrafts) available to each member of Congress from a common pool of funds. Policies and actions are permissible in a cooperative which would not be allowed in a traditional bank. Assuming the pool of funds did not involve public money, the anger of the American public has probably been unjustified and overly harsh. Unless a law is broken, we must refrain from indictments.