We Must Stop Pretending

We must stop pretending that the degradation of our politics and the conduct of some in our executive branch are normal.  They are not normal.  Reckless, outrageous, and undignified behavior has become excused and countenanced as "telling it like it is," when it is actually just reckless, outrageous, and undignified. ...

When such behavior emanates from the top of our government, it is something else: It is dangerous to a democracy.  Such behavior does not project strength -- because our strength comes from our values.  It instead projects a corruption of the spirit, and weakness. ...

The notion that one should stay silent as the norms and values that keep America strong are undermined and as the alliances and agreements that ensure the stability of the entire world are routinely threatened by the level of thought that goes into 140 characters -- the notion that one should say and do nothing in the face of such mercurial behavior is ahistoric and, I believe, profoundly misguided.

-- Senator Jeffry Lane Flake (R-AZ), in a speech on the Senate floor announcing he will not run for re-election, 24 October 2017