Members of Congress frequently have complained in recent years of the rancor in political debates and often say they would like to see more civil rhetoric on Capitol Hill. Yet many of the same people who have complained about "partisan bickering" and the "politics of personal destruction" were themselves full-throated participants in the high-volume attacks on Sen. John Ashcroft, President Bush's nominee for attorney general.
The hypocrisy is almost comical. But don't count on embarrassment to bring an end to partisan hostilities.
Although some of the attacks on Ashcroft clearly went over the line, such as not-so-subtle accusations of racism, many of the issues raised in the harsh questioning he has endured are mere cover for serious and deep philosophical differences between liberal Democrats and conservative Republicans.
There's nothing wrong with having strong, contentious debates on issues. In fact, it's very healthy for our country, and it would be a grave mistake to suppress political debate in the name of "civility." In many parts of the world, such debates are settled by a coup d'tat, not a confirmation hearing. We should be thankful that our republic is strong enough to endure partisan bickering.
Even as outlandish and personal as these debates sometimes get — surely Ashcroft does not deserve to be accused of racism or other sins — they are powder-puff affairs when compared to debates earlier in America's history.
I'm old enough to recall the things that were routinely said about President Franklin Roosevelt. His opponents did everything but question his lineage — and perhaps even that was considered fair game.
In 1804, Alexander Hamilton, the brilliant former treasury secretary and co-author of the Federalist, and former Vice President Aaron Burr settled a political dispute in a duel. Hamilton fired his pistol in the air. Burr shot to kill — and did.
We've come a long way since Burr gunned down Hamilton, and the sometimes yearned-for civility of yesteryear is pure fiction. Nevertheless, our nation's leaders need to find a way to pull back from the temptation to engage in personal smears as a means to achieve victory, when the real issues are matters of philosophy and policy.
Bush is right when he says it is time for a new tone in Washington. Let the "partisan bickering" be as loud as can be on the issues, and let the differences be made clear. But before politicians make it more personal, they should ask themselves if they would want to be treated in the same way. That's actually a very old idea, which most of us know as the Golden Rule.
Art Linkletter, noted radio and TV personality for more than 50 years, is a spokesman for United Seniors Association.