During the Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD that destroyed three-quarters of the capital city, legend has it that Emperor Nero caused the massive blaze to erupt. Some suspected he had secretly sent out a parade of drunken fools to burn it to the ground in hopes of rebuilding it in his own image. Nero showed a general indifference to what was happening. He played the lyre in his palace, as the story goes, while the flames destroyed Roman art, architecture, and centuries of history.

It led to the famous expression that Nero fiddles while Rome burns.

A similar tale unfolded during the bizarre battle involving the B.C. Conservatives and their embattled leader, John Rustad. In this case, there were far too many fiddlers while the political movement burned at a high temperature.

Rustad was elected

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