Maybe the gasbrains that journalism school turns out might overlook that little "families" word sliding by in your first sentence, but I've got a few more neurons than that.

As the New York Times puts it,

Over the years, Mr. Frist played no role in the development and growth of HCA, but he did invest in it when it was founded, and the investment proved lucrative. His estimated $20 million fortune makes him one of the wealthiest members of Congress*. Most of his holdings are in blind trusts, according to his most recent financial disclosure form.

The company was founded by Frist's father and brother, and Frist himself has little to do with it. He doesn't run it. He's not on the board. His holdings are in a blind trust, as they are for many other wealthy politicians. Okay, he's rich, but this is only a crime for Republican politicians. John Kerry's worth $550 million (okay, his wife is). Do you care?

Hey, we don't lean on Ted Kennedy because daddy got his family rich as a rumrunner, do we?

And is everyone who owned stock in Enron a crook?

*Nowhere even close. Even the last guy on the list of Top Ten Richest Politicians has ten times what Frist does.