Via the excellent Julian Sanchez comes this snippet illustrating the difference between traditional and legal-rational authority. Tom DeLay wants to smoke in Tom Khandker’s restaurant:

Khandker: “I’m sorry, sir, but this is a federal building, and it’s against the law of the federal government.”

DeLay: “I am the federal government.”

But Khandker stood his ground, and DeLay and several cigar-chomping compatriots left for the smoke-filled Caucus Room before the cheesecake course.

It’s just occured to me that if anyone is entitled to call his office, it’s Weber. He practically invented offices and calling.