I know what you mean. And all this after the impeachment of Clinton on the basis that he violated the "rule of law". You have to wonder what that phrase means to Republicans (we know what it means to the Dems). Was the impeachment pure politics? Are principles just a farce for the Republican caucus? Is the "rule of law" simply an ad hoc bludgeon to use opportunistically? I don't like what I'm thinking.
It's true. The "rule of law" has become a meaningless catch-phrase, boob-bait for the bubbas as a famous Democrat used to say. Watch what politicians do, not what they say. Law in America these days has become "situational" like our ethics. It's applied haphazardly, is used as a political weapon and is largely politically partisan. If you want a perfect illustration, get a tape of O'Reilly's Friday program and watch that Democrat robot Robert Ray "explain" his decision not to prosecute the Clintons in Whitewater.