Just Because It's Legal Does That Make It Right?

Gardner Selby asks a question today, The Leininger factor not illegal, so why the fuss? Are we to assume from this that Mr. Selby believes that just because something is legal that it's right? Or that if it's legal you have to like someone doing it? He is right and I don't believe anyone, excepting Mr. Merritt and his wife, has been accusing Mr. Leininger of doing anything illegal, with his money. Many people just don't think it's right and don't like what Mr. Leininger is doing in those five races, "Leiny Five" as he calls them:

- Against Rep. Tommy Merritt of Longview, Leininger has spent $505,000 (95.7 percent of the funds spent on the challenger's campaign).
- Against Rep. Roy Blake Jr. of Nacogdoches, Leininger has spent $342,000 (92.8 percent of the challenger's campaign funding).
- Against Rep. Carter Casteel of New Braunfels, Leininger has spent $449,000 (94.3 percent of her challenger's campaign money).
- –Against Rep. Delwin Jones of Lubbock, Leininger has spent $396,000 (89.7 percent of the challenger's funding).
- Against Rep. Charlie Geren of Fort Worth, Leininger has spent $175,000 (78.2 percent of the war chest of Geren's opponent).

For further justification Mr. Selby tells us this about what Mr. Leininger is doing:

Leininger sees nothing unseemly. "That's the way the laws are set up and the way the system is set up," he said. "It's important for people to take part."

Besides, he said, he doesn't dabble in details. "I have nothing to do with the campaigns. I haven't even talked to a lot of these candidates. I don't even know them. . . These House races are very local races."

Of course he doesn't think he's doing anything wrong. Why would he? He's a rich man trying to buy legislators for his pet project. If he thought something was wrong with this he wouldn't be doing it, right? The other reason it's OK, he's hands off. He's hands off during the campaign, I guess. If you don't think he'll be doing this again next time vouchers comes up you're insane. But once again Mr. Selby is right, he's not doing anything illegal. But just because it's legal that doesn't make it right and we don't have to like it. I hope the voters feel the same way.