Can Washington D.C. Ever Be Fixed?
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Any elementary student can tell you that Washington is the seat of power in American politics. It is the city where lawmakers and statesmen set out to do the people’s work. However, judging from oft used phrases like “Washington is broken” or “same old-Washington politics,” it also sounds like a place in desperate need of repair on both sides of the partisan aisle. “I came to work for the Senate in the 1970s and very rarely was there ever a party line vote on any issue,” says Donald Ritchie, reflecting on his tenure with the U.S. Senate Historical Office. “Almost every issue was a bipartisan.” But times have changed. “Today, most votes in the Senate tend to be along party lines,” said Ritchie. Critics say partisanship is fine, but the current climate has become bitterly polarized. “We believe in partisanship or there wouldn’t be two parties,” says conservative syndicated columnist Cal Thomas. “But, partisanship has devolved into polarization, and that is what is pois
