all three of these men had been accused of misuse of campaign funds.-but what successful public official hadnt been pointed at , at least by the news media , on that score ? -misuse of power was also a common accusation and few powerful men avoided that stigma.-bribery or the taking of bribes in the political arena was often a matter of definition and usually labeled , you scratch my back , ill scratch yours or one hand washes the other.-the line between legal and illegal activity was often very blurred.-colton remembered a poem he had been forced to memorize in high school.-he wasnt sure who wrote it .