Asking Too Much?

Is it really too much to ask that our lawmakers obey the law and set an example?  Call me old fashioned but I always thought that holding office is a public trust--a compact one makes with voters to serve them and  stand up for their interests.  And part of that compact is having respect for the office by conducting yourself in a dignified manner, setting an example and keeping things on the level.  

"Lawmakers who drive drunk, take merchandise out of stores or bring a loaded gun into airports shouldn't be treated lightly.  If authorities want to deter normal citizens from breaking laws, they should set an example with lawmakers who take oaths to uphold them."

Source. Editorial. "Lawmakers who break our laws shouldn't get a break," Sacramento Bee. 1/6/11.