Dysfunction in Congress may be here to stay. Lawmakers, most at least, have genuine, deep, ideological roots. The Righteous and self-Righteous are easily identifiable. So too are the work-horses and the show-horses. Civility is replaced by hostility as public discourse has deteriorated. 

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Yet, partisan struggle makes better laws. Pursuit of bi-partisan deals for the mere sake of bi-partisanship is the clamor of manic-depressive journalists. At the base of our democratic system is a competition for elective office; political competition among partisans is how we Americans pick winners and losers and empower the winners to make the big decisions.

 

Winning elections is the essential precondition for exercising government’s considerable powers. These elected officials are just a sampling of those who Mr. Locke has worked with who are “Here for the Right Reason.”