Paul Manafort has led an “otherwise blameless life,” according to the federal judge who sentenced him to 47 months in prison for bilking the government out of millions of dollars in taxes.

The federal sentencing guidelines recommended that Donald Trump’s former presidential campaign chairman receive 19 to 25 years in the slammer.

Oh, but he’s had an “otherwise blameless life.” Fascinating, yes?

Well, I am struck by the seeming symmetry between that logic and something that the late Marion Barry, the former mayor of Washington, D.C., once said about the crime rate in his city.

His (dis)honor once said with a straight face that if you take away the murder rate in D.C., “the crime rate isn’t so bad.”

So, without all the bloodshed, “otherwise, the city is a nice place.”