Dear Lindsey:
What the hell happened? You used to be a sensible guy; you were my good friend and sidekick. We rarely disagreed on issues. I fondly remember all the good times we had together. But Donald Trump came on the scene. I died, and you changed. You needed a new sidekick, and despite his disparaging the five years I spent in a North Vietnamese POW camp after being shot down over Hanoi, you embraced him. What became of the values I thought we shared? Character, integrity, and honor were more than just words. They were what we strived for even in the give and take of politics.
Sure, being a senator is a great job; you get a lot attention, you’re important, people listen to you, you have power, and the travel opportunities are informative and fun. We had many a good time on some of those junkets. It also provided the opportunity to make progress in pursuit of the elusive common good. As we discussed on many occasions, I was concerned that Trump’s election would harm both the country and our party. That, unfortunately, turned out to be true.
What I and those of our former colleagues up here with me cannot understand is why you have become one of his most vigorous defenders. Is the job so important to you that you cannot risk defeat by offending Trump and his supporters? Is being a political celebrity now more important to you than respect for the rules and traditions of the Senate, bipartisan cooperation and duty to uphold the Constitution? Are you blind to the dangers posed to our nation by Donald Trump?
There was one flash of the old Lindsey, during the Jan. 6 riot, when you took to the Senate floor to denounce the insurrection and Trump’s role in promoting it. You said that was too much and that you had had it. But within a week, you were back defending him. You may be able to rationalize that support by claiming it is better to be with him than against him, because that way you can offer advice and thereby discourage his worse impulses. That may satisfy your conscience, but it looks like a sellout.
Ambition can make us do dumb things. Take, for example, my naming Sarah Palin as my vice-presidential choice during my campaign against Barack Obama. I was losing and, against my better judgment, figured the only way I could win was by choosing a colorful personality. It was a mistake; she was not qualified for the job. Given that experience, I was disappointed in your recent vote against elevating the obviously qualified Judge Jackson to the Supreme Court. It may have endeared you to the MAGA wing of the party, but it certainly was not a profile in courage.
There is probably only one thing worse than losing the respect of others, and that is losing your self-respect. Old friend, I am afraid you have lost the respect of many who admired you before you became a Trump ally. I hope that in so doing, you have not sacrificed your self-respect on the altar of ambition. Even if successful, it is not worth the price. There is still time for you to be an important and influential voice in protecting our democracy. If I were there, you know that is what I would be doing.
Your dear friend,
John
