text: why shouldn't congress be accountable for the wrong they do while in office? if they take a bribe, they should foerfit their pensions and be kicked out of office.. pluse go to jail... are they not a elected officials and shouldnt they be a role model for us ordinary americans ? who says they aren't held accountable? the following is taken from associated press:  "since the 1970s, more than a dozen congressmen have been convicted in criminal court. their cases and sentences include:   — rep. andrew j. hinshaw, r-calif., spent a year in jail after being convicted in 1976 of accepting bribes when he was county tax assessor. he lost the primary election and resigned at the end of his term.   — rep. charles diggs jr., d-mich., was convicted in 1978 of operating a payroll kickback scheme in his congressional office. he served seven months of a three-year prison term. he was re-elected, then resigned in 1980.   — rep. michael myers, d-pa., served 20 ½ months of a three-year prison sentence for accepting bribes from fbi agents impersonating arab businessmen. he was convicted in 1980 and expelled from congress.   — four other house members were convicted in the arab businessmen bribery scandal: democratic reps. john murphy of new york, frank thompson and john jenrette of new jersey, and raymond lederer of south carolina. thompson and murphy were sentenced to three years; jenrette, two years; and lederer, one year.   — rep. mario biaggi, d-n.y., was convicted in 1988 of extorting nearly $2 million from defense contractor wedtech corp. he resigned from congress and served two years and two months of an eight-year sentence. he was defeated for re-election in 1992.  — rep. mel reynolds, d-ill., was sentenced in 1995 to five years in prison for having sex with an underage campaign worker. he resigned from congress, then was sentenced in 1997 to 6 ½ years for bank fraud and other violations. the second sentence, which was to run at the same time as first, was commuted in 2001 by president clinton.   — rep. walter tucker iii, d-calif., was sentenced in 1996 to two years and three months in prison for accepting and demanding bribes while mayor of a los angeles suburb. he resigned from congress a week after his 1995 conviction.   — rep. dan rostenkowski, d-ill., pleaded guilty in 1996 to two felony mail fraud charges, lost re-election and served 15 months in prison. clinton pardoned him in 2000."