Politicians 1

One doesn’t want to encourage easy cynicism about politicians, but they make it hard. From the New York Observer, about Manhattan assemblywoman Gabriela Rosa pleading guilty to marrying someone to get citizenship and lying about her (considerable) assets when she filed for bankruptcy. First:

“I falsely got married to a U.S. citizen in order to regularize my citizenship,” the Dominican-born Ms. Rosa said in federal court this afternoon, tearing up as she spoke.

And then:

Outside the courtroom, however, Ms. Rosa and her attorney took a bolder tone, with lawyer Matthew Myers calling it “a minor crime.” They noted that, even though prosecutors classified the charges as a corruption case, they referred to actions taken long before she was elected to the Assembly in 2012

“I want the people to really see that I did not do anything wrong in my legislative duties,” said Ms. Rosa, calling for comprehensive immigration reform. “All I’m saying is that I am not the first one and I do not think I will be the last one.”