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But when it comes to credit cards and college students, Congress is right to focus some of its industry reform efforts on questionable tactics used to lure new cardholders.

Bills pending in both the House and the Senate are attempting to better regulate firms soliciting students.

Certainly, 18- to 21-year-olds should have some access to credit. Many in that age range are working and raising families.

Establishing a good credit history can help them as they buy their first homes or start businesses. And having a credit card for emergencies is smart for many college-age people — especially if they are at a campus far from their hometowns and families.

But many university students are also operating on tight budgets or still financially dependent on their parents.

Those students should not fall victim to unscrupulous credit card companies trolling for easy marks. And their parents do not deserve to be saddled with debt they did not accumulate.

Some firms are clearly not seeking credit-worthy people when they sign up students without doing credit checks.

People of all ages can benefit from greater financial literacy. Programs that educate at the middle and high school levels could be very effective in instilling sensible spending habits before credit problems occur.

Credit card issuers should do their part by clearly and fairly explaining policies and ratcheting back costs and fees that have increased while billing periods shortened.

— The Kansas City Star

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Welcome to the chalet of Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska.

It has a new first floor, a handsome wrap-around deck, a tool cabinet loaded with new tools, and a professional Viking gas grill.

And all of it came courtesy of an oil-services company in Alaska that sought government help from Stevens, according to a seven-count federal indictment.

The indictment accuses Stevens of failing to report gifts of more than $250,000 as required on his annual Senate financial disclosure forms. Those gifts allegedly included free construction work on his house in Alaska, and an SUV for one of his children.

The charges are a blow not just for Stevens and Republicans hoping to hold onto his seat, but for the Senate itself. Stevens is no backbencher, as with other recently scandalized lawmakers such as Reps. Rick Renzi, R-Ariz., and William Jefferson, D-La.

He is an institution in Washington.

Stevens, 84, is the longest-serving Republican in Senate history. For six years, he chaired the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, controlling hundreds of billions of dollars. If the charges are proved, he will be just one more example of lawmakers who couldn't draw a line between serving the public and serving themselves.

Yet the clubby nature of the Senate produced no outrage. Republicans and Democrats alike spoke of their sadness, and how Stevens has been a wonderful champion for his state.

Yes, how can taxpayers in the Lower 48 ever forget his $400 million "bridge to nowhere," a boondoggle intended to link one Alaskan island to another with 50 inhabitants?

Stevens said he is innocent of the charges, but his initial denial was couched in legalese. "I have never knowingly submitted a false disclosure form," he said.

Reading the indictment, it's hard to believe that Stevens was unaware of the freebies being lavished on him by the now-defunct private company, Veco. He wrote thank-you notes to Veco employees who performed the contracting work.

The indictment alleges Stevens received hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of free labor.

Although prosecutors do not claim a direct quid pro quo, Stevens allegedly received these gifts while Veco was requesting various federal grants and contracts through his Senate office. The firm also sought Stevens' help to build a natural gas pipeline on Alaska's North Slope.

So often in recent years, lawmakers have preached about personal responsibility. With at least a dozen members of Congress indicted in the last five years, it's too bad so many are incapable of taking their own advice.