Louise T. Guinther

I remember a time when politicians considered themselves public servants, or at least paid lip service to the idea that that was what they were supposed to be. In those days, a candidate could win reelection by supporting legislation that improved the lot of his constituents, or advanced the prestige and power of the United States, even if it was proposed or cosponsored by a member of the opposing party.

The Republicans’ current insistence on making aid to Ukraine contingent on U.S.–Mexican border policy is just the latest indication that the only thing our modern politicians are serving is their own self-interest. The two issues are unrelated; the only reason to link them is to handicap U.S. foreign policy and give the President a black eye. The Republicans know perfectly well that support for Ukraine is essential, yet they would rather create a second and utterly unnecessary foreign-policy crisis for the Biden administration than pass the vital spending bill and, as the Times puts it, “give an election-year win to Mr. Biden.”

In other words, for at least one out of every four years, the Republicans apparently prioritize their own election chances over the good of the country—and indeed the world.

Now, I do not pretend that the Democrats would not play the same game. Alas, it is a snowballing trend on both sides of the aisle to deliberately sabotage what would once have been opportunities for bipartisan action and progress, lest the opposition be able to claim some small part of the universal victory. Better we should all come out losers than that our opponents should gain any iota of credit or respect.

I dearly miss the days when politicians could hope that by considering the issues on their actual merits, and voting their conscience based solely on the common good, they might win the confidence of their constituents even if they had occasionally aided and abetted the other side.