Congress won't turn Wall Street into the last refuge of political hacks. Nor will Republicans stand for many of the more aggressive suggestions proffered in Clinton's speech. In that sort of principled gridlock lies the hope of reviving political idealism. Washington has become vicious as it has become more idle. There is a biological explanation for this.
Lawmakers are a peculiar species.
As a general rule, they store up vast troves of nervous energy and must be able to work it off regularly. If honorables cannot lavish attention upon matters of policy or state, they will turn toward the sport of destroying each other. The president plays the dominant role in setting the tone. He supplies intellectual grist by drafting legislation. The old saw notes of the law that a president proposes and Congress disposes.