The US Senate has had a reputation of being a civil debating society. A group of 100 men (some women) who viewed themselves as the elite of American politics. It is oft said that when a newly elected Senator arrives in the chamber he / she can't believe that he /she is there and after a few months he / she can't believe the other Senators are there with him / her. It does not take long for Senators to think that he / she is the most qualified person on the planet to lead this great nation of ours. Which is why so many run for President.
At one time it was also a very civil body. Members even in today's nasty political culture still call each other "my good friend from ...." In the not too distant past, even after a tough day of voting or debating Senators would return to the friendships they developed. An example of this is the extraordinary and deep friendship of Senator Hatch and Senator Kennedy.
Those days are fading and will be gone when the oldest members move on.
There was time when the Senate was full of statesmen & stateswomen. People who looked after the national interest, who took the long view and who saw the big picture. It was more genteel in it's debates than the House of Representatives.
It is no longer that way. Many members are petty, vicious, fear mongering, small minded nimrods who try to demean and debase those who oppose them. They practice the politics of personal destruction perfected by Newt. In fact many of the current bunch of Senators served in the house with Newtie.
I know that saying the worst of the worst are in the GOP will be predictable but I'm sorry they are.
Where are people like Margaret Chase Smith, Hubert Humphrey, Hugh Scott, Al Gore Sr, John Heinz, Everett Dirkson, Tom Eagleton & Barry Goldwater. All of these people were very partisan and very passionate about their views and positions but you did not see the venom and the hatred and rage you see today.
What happened to our politics? Why does this current generation of GOP leaders talk about following in the footsteps of Ronald Reagan yet really walk in the footsteps of Richard Nixon and Joseph McCarthy. It really was not all that long ago that even after a day of tough debate Tip O'Neil and Ronald Reagan would have drinks and dinner and leaders of both parties would meet in Dan Rostinkowski's (sp)office to play poker. Sadly I don't think we can ever go back. The Dem's have learned the lesson the hard way and are not much better.
Even the sex scandals were more genteel and polite. A secretary that could not type, a drunken swim with a stripper in the tidal basin, a call boy with loose lips (pun intended) or taking bribes from FBI agents dressed up like Arabs. Now, they are just so dirty and weird.
I keep hoping it won't get worse but things like this never gets better. Why should the Senate be any less coarse than the culture at large. So hold your nose.
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