“It’s his responsibility and he accepts it.”

Those words were spoken by the lawyer for Lester Crawford, the former head of the Food and Drug Administration, who pleaded guilty to owning stock in companies regulated by his agency. They are unremarkable except for one thing: they are so rare.

As this season of scandal grips the capital, the miscreants are always pointing the finger of blame somewhere else: at Demon Rum or Big Media or some Forgetful Accountant. And that’s a lousy message to be sending to our kids. Next time you chastise your teenager for bringing the car home late, don’t be surprised at this response: “The press is distorting my position.”

Here are some of the most common excuses offered by recent wrongdoers. The one thing they never seem to say is, “It’s my fault.”

“I was too drunk to remember what I did.” This is lame enough when used by two college students hooking up in the back room of a frat house. It is really unbecoming when two members of Congress make the same argument to justify their bad behavior. Yet Mark Foley of Florida, who sent salacious emails to underage pages, and Bob Ney of Ohio, who pleaded guilty to accepting bribes, both entered alcohol rehab programs as they headed out of town.