On tax deductions, Sanders is no hypocrite

I love this article because it calls out both sides for unfair criticisms of each other. This article will make many supporters of both Bernie and Hillary upset. But I think it's spot on.

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/tax-deductions-sanders-no-hypocrite

Actually, it’s quite possible to argue that this isn’t hypocrisy, because, well, that’s not what hypocrisy means.

Current tax laws allow Americans to take a variety of deductions, and Sanders followed the laws as they’re written. Does Sanders hope to change the laws related to deductions? He absolutely does, even if that means he and his family have to pay more. But those changes haven’t yet happened, so the senator continues to do what he’s permitted to do.

As Mother Jones’ Kevin Drum put it, “If you don’t like the designated hitter rule in baseball, does that mean you should send your pitcher to the plate just to prove how sincere you are? Of course not. You play by the rules, whatever those rules are.”

And this is absolutely true, but it's also true that Hillary is no hypocrite for financing her campaign using existing laws. From the same article:

Last year, Hillary Clinton was accused of being “hypocritical” for criticizing the existing campaign-finance system, even while raising money within that system. But again, that’s not what “hypocrisy” means – there is no contradiction when a candidate plays by the rules while hoping to someday change those rules.