Obviously even those Democratic ethics committee members who had pressed the Hart case in spite of Republican intransigence had grown weary of the exercise. "I think he wore us out," said Rep. Wendy Jaquet, D-Ketchum. "I think he apologized, both yesterday and he apologized today. He acknowledged it. I felt the remorse was there." So it's time to move on. That's how it looks inside the state Capitol. Here's how it looks outside: Anybody else in this state who extends a middle finger to the tax man is going to pay some big fines if not do time in jail. If you haul thousands of dollars of timber from public forests without paying, the state isn't going to simply forget about it. But not Hart/Marty Trillhaase, Lewiston Tribune. More here.

• Richert: The wheeler-dealer is at it again/Idaho Statesman

Question: Is opinionator Marty Trillhaase being a bit rough on state Rep. Phil Hart, who has ap-hollow-gized for his tax problems and five-finger timber discount of days gone by?