Senators David Bates (R, Barrington, Bristol, East Providence) and Edward O’Neill (I, Lincoln, North Providence, North Smithfield) illustrate exactly what I was talking about, the other day:

[General Assembly spokespeople] also said that Bates and Sen. Edward O’Neill, an independent from Lincoln, contacted the state Ethics Commission prior to the event and, based on what they learned, believed they had a green light.

As I suggested, the Ethics Commission is supposed to set a line beyond which unethical behavior will not be tolerated.  Instead, it’s become a referee giving a “green light” to all unethical behavior up to that line.  Consider that there are no gradations; the Commission has no mechanism to label things “unethical, but not illegal,” for example.  (Although, it mightn’t be a good idea to consider it qualified to do so.)

We’re to the point, I’d say, that voters should not only set their own — much higher — standards for what’s ethical for an elected official, but give additional marks against a politician who cites the Ethics Commission as justification for violating them.