From A Different Conversation

I was out to lunch with a few former co-workers today, and we were talking (of course) about the election. The discussion turned to corruption in the voting and the different stories that have been told. One of my former co-workers asked:
"So, explain to me again why it's a crime to bribe a poor person with a pack of smokes, but it's fine to bribe a rich person with a tax cut?"