red herring

A red herring is a deliberate attempt to change the subject or divert the argument from the real question at issue to some side-point; for instance, "Senator Jones should not be held accountable for cheating on his income tax. After all, there are other senators who have done far worse things." Another example: "I should not pay a fine for reckless driving. There are many other people on the street who are dangerous criminals and rapists, and the police should be chasing them, not harassing a decent tax-paying citizen like me." Certainly, worse criminals do exist, but that it is another issue! The questions at hand are (1) did the speaker drive recklessly and (2) should he pay a fine for it?