In the context of today's Washington, Trump had every right to ask Comey for loyalty

Somewhere along the line, I guess people got the idea that loyalty is a negative thing. I suppose they assume that the people who want loyalty from others don't deserve it, or see it as a way to avoid accountability. If you think every leader is a despot in waiting, or a corrupt power-abuser, then maybe the notion of loyalty takes on a creepy quality to you. But loyalty, at its essence, is a good quality - however determinedly the cynics among us have tried to turn it into a bad one. It's the first positive train we associate with Boy Scouts. It's something we wouldn't dream of denying to our family or our friends. And it transcends the individuals who might be in a position at a given moment. I was a loyal Minnesota Vikings fan even when Brad Childress was the head coach - not because I had any use for him (he was all the things people think Donald Trump is, and wretchedly more), but because his success meant the team's success as long as he was around. A truly loyal fan doesn't root for his own team to lose so the coach will be fired. A loyal American doesn't sow chaos in the federal government to cause problems for a president he doesn't like. Elections are the time to get rid of the president if you can. The rest of the time, if you work for him, your job is to help him govern.