... it wasn't cool for the federal government to spy on Americans
... it wasn't cool to lie to Congress
... journalists used unusual secret sources to break big stories, and were celebrated rather than tagged as criminals.
... it was potentially a big problem for the guys at the top, with hard questions asked by resourceful media, when terrorist attacks were successful
... when dissent was the highest form of patriotism (except, apparently, when you use the word "patriot" in the name of your organization)
... using the IRS to harass your political opponents was an impeachable offense*
... people who flat-out lied to the American people were fired, not promoted
... the buck stopped at the top
*No, I'm not buying the "couple of rogue agents" defense, debunked in the WSJ today with direct testimony. Try again.