What a waste of a golden moment, when the richest nation on earth, the preeminent power in the world, might have acted to do some good. We are on the verge of blowing it. And history will not treat those who blow it very kindly. This might have been the Congress known for rebuilding our nation's schools, providing health care for all our nation's children, of preserving Social Security, for leaving no American behind. But no-that won't be the case.
Justice requires consideration of the opinion of the public.
There is an answer for this. The public understands that we must have a broader definition of what constitutes morality in public life than that which seems to energize the Republicans. It is too limiting to see it just in terms of whether a man, Bill Clinton, in his frailty, in his shame, sought to split legal hairs during questioning from a hostile prosecution. Yes we need a broader appreciation of morality. And the American people do not view Bill Clinton as a bad man.