Today’s Puzzle #3: A Skeleton Dances — Why is Keeping it Legal Thought Three?

Here’s another thing that confuses me: If you are Michael Capuano and your closet contains what the Boston Phoenix called

the appearance of a “pay-to-play” exchange of campaign money for earmarks

then why would you yank that skeleton out of the closet by appearing at a fundraiser for one of the other lawmakers implicated in the scandal? Moreover, why would you jingle that skeleton around by stating on camera that if donors don’t like the way you vote, you’ll refund their money? Doesn’t really contribute to the image of a principled man who can’t be bought, does it? Check out what Capuano says at about 3:15:

Capuano: If you make a determination it’s a bad bill and I vote for it for any reason, yes, I will refund the money because if that’s what you want, that’s fine.

In fairness, after saying that, he has second thoughts:

It’s almost a quid pro quo… it’s a little uncomfortable.

Uncomfortable? How about illegal? He goes on further and does state as a third thought that he won’t do anything against the law. Whew. Glad he finally got around to that third thought of his.