Mr. Fein makes some thoughtful points about the need for congressional investigations into wrongdoing by the executive branch. However his seeming capstone belief that congressional investigations should be expressly designed to politically benefit either congress or the president's opposing party is emblematic of one of the major reasons that many of us out here in the hinterlands distrust our national government. The exercise of government DC style seems to be a series of grudge matches between either congress and the president or the two political parties, depending on the circumstances. It's all about the exercise of power with its inevitably corrupting results.

Mr. Fein seems to be suggesting that Congress needs more power in those matches - that the balance of power between the two branches needs to be recalibrated in favor of the legislative branch by giving more power to Congress to inflict additional political damage on the executive branch for possible infractions - of any sort.

Mr. Fein has undoubtedly examined the dangers inherent in a corrupt executive branch but his analysis appears to be blind to those inherent in a corrupt congress. Giving 535 or more people more power to investigate the executive branch upon 535 or more whims is a recipe for total gridlock.

The president needs to have the ability to govern -honorably - a complex nation in an evolving world. He or she needs to be able to seek and accept candid and sometimes brutal confidential advice. Governing ain't beanbag either.

Governing is more than a tug of war between opposing teams. We need active statesmen and women more than punitive processes and a culture of honor more than added layers of political theater. Congress has yet to exhibit an interest in either of those goals so giving it more power would not likely further them.