I was guessing the politicians wouldn't pay the ransom out of principle. Which would be the first time they could use that reason for anything since principles or at least moral based ones seem to be an unsolvable puzzle for the leaders in charge at this time minus a dozen or so that have proven like Cruz to have them and use them. Now on the dems side you'd be hard pressed to get one to use true non PC doublespeak morality to save people lives would have them in stitches from the uncontrollable laughter on the fact someone thought they were moral. But that would be fiction in this decade now.