SOTU Speech - Congress admits they're criminals ?

[TatonkaJames]

10:00 p.m. ET – Obama: "Send me a bill that bans insider trading by Members of Congress, and I will sign it tomorrow."

Drew applause from members of both parties.

Am I reading into this wrong or does the applause mean they actually are acknowledging they're criminals ?

[valerief]

1. They don't get punished for their crimes so why should they hide them? nt

[DJ13]

2. "Send me a bill that bans insider trading by Members of Congress"

Congress has long permitted (encouraged?) insider trading among their members.

Its only against the law outside those hallowed halls.

[emulatorloo]

4. Per Rachel, they had a bill in the works after a 6O minutes expose.

Bipartisan support, but then it just kinda petered out.

That's what Obama was referring to

[unblock]

3. gosh no! crooks in congress? no WAY!

they're eager to pass a nicely titled bill that can't be reasonably enforced to give them that thin veneer of legitimacy every con artist craves.

[onenote]

5. No. It means they're acknowledging that the law doesn't make it a crime

for members of Congress to do something that would be a crime when others do it. I have no idea how many of those applauding actually have engaged in insider trading. Do you? Maybe most of those applauding don't do it and want those that do to be stopped.

[Ravens Light]

6. What probably went through their heads as they stood up

"Oh god the cameras, I don't want to be caught sitting down!"

[lovemydog]

7. or, 'oh wow I just crapped in my pants'