I asked Feinberg, an economist, what price constituted outrageous in her mind.  Would she have been as upset if Ryan's wine were $150 a bottle?  Or $100 a bottle?  Or perhaps $80 a bottle, like her own -- which is, after all, more than a day's labor for a worker making the minimum wage.

If the problem was not just the wine's cost, then what other factors were involved in Feinberg's anger? Was it because she thought Rep. Ryan was a hypocrite for drinking expensive wine while recommending reduced spending on Medicare and Medicaid?  Was it because she believed Rep. Ryan was corrupt for drinking with two men she suspected were lobbyists?  And finally, did Feinberg believe she behaved appropriately in the matter?  Would it be appropriate for a conservative who felt strongly about, say, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, or Rep. Barney Frank, to do something similar to them under similar circumstances?

Feinberg's response was brief: "I'm sorry.  I have no comment on this."