When the Slush Fund Gets a Halo

The slush fund was ugly until somebody in a suit spotted a way to cash in. That is the whole Washington magic trick: the same crowd that says “too corrupt” on Monday starts saying “needs guardrails” on Tuesday, right after the money gets too interesting to throw away.

Public trust keeps getting treated like a disposable napkin at the donor-class buffet. First it’s a scandal, then it’s a “practical tool,” and then somebody with a serious face explains why the payout door should stay open just a little wider. Around here, principle is a luxury item—fine to admire in the store, impossible to afford once the receipt shows up. And that, friends, is the real emergency fund.