Losses to the Body Politic

These interviews with retiring Congressmen give me new respect for Republican Steven LaTourette of Ohio and Democrat Brad Miller of North Carolina. LaTourette speaks frankly about the Tea Party Republicans who've strong-armed the Republican Conference, and Miller speaks frankly about the cluelessness of the Obama White House.

The loss of such men from our deliberative bodies is a blow to our democracy. As we prepare to cascade over that famous cliff, we wonder if this country has simply become irrevocably ungovernable. That's as dark a thought as one can have approaching a New Year.