It's hard to be partisan when the sides are so blurred.  So my question, is it really politics or just criminal behavior at all levels?

When a public servant begins to act in terms of what his or her power will allow them to do for themselves, that is using the power of the public service for private service?  Abuse of power isn't a federal crime, but it is an impeachable offense.  That never made sense to me.

I see serious abuse of power at all levels where I live.  Often, if you follow a particular office holder you will find the decisions being made are constantly slanted in a personal preference. Even the strategy for re-election is reflected in many actions carried out under the power of the office.  Some are more blantant in their use of power for personal gain.

I'm sick of watching what is going on at the local level, much less the state and national level.  It appears to me that the taste for blood (political power) usually begins at the local level and propels the politician to the higher offices, rather than the desire to be a statesman.  All publicly elected offices should be without re-election opportunities if we want statesman instead of career politicians.  Fat chance of that happening!

Get to know a local politician in a more personal way for a few weeks and you will realize how they think.  It's always about re-election first, then personal gain next when it comes to policy.  If you haven't found that to be true, you either don't know them well enough to have discovered it yet, or you have found someone who would rather serve than be re-elected.  

Edit to add:  

This post isn't about politics (decisions based on a grouping of ideas), but rather the abuse of power in public office.  The lack of integrity in public service transcends all political ideas.