I wanted to comment on Richard Rosenfeld's piece which aired on NPR's Morning Edition Monday 2/15/99.

Now that the Clinton impeachment process is finished it was helpful to have someone put the recent events into an historical perspective. This is a common thing to do, but, often, references to the past are falsely idealized and blur significant distinctions. Mr. Rosenfeld provided a refreshing contrast, by reminding us that our "founding fathers" were not monolithic in their thinking nor pure in their behaviors. And although we may feel like things are falling apart and we are going to "Hell in a hand basket," a close look at history reveals that things haven't changed as much as we think.

Take partisanship for example. Many have concluded that the party-line vote for impeachment exposed how petty politics has become. And yet, Rosenfeld demonstrates, that no lesser person than George Washington worked to undercut and sabotage vice president Thomas Jefferson's run for the presidency. Almost two hundred years ago the conservatives, which were called Federalists, formed a "surveillance committee" to dig up dirt on Jefferson's personal affairs.

In deed politics seems to be politics in any century. It is amazing to hear how the same themes of adultery and poor character crop up again and again in our American saga.

Likewise, just as politics seems to be a constant, so does the behavior of some conservative religious leaders. In the same presidential campaign, Puritan clergy warned their parishioners not to vote for the atheist, Jefferson, declaring it would be an offense to God. Indeed what seemed to be offended was protestant political influence and control which was being challenged by French radicalism and Roman Catholicism. Those who think the "religious right" has gotten out of hand, need to read some old New England sermons. Pat Robertson has nothing on them.

In adding my own thoughts, I suggest that for both instances, then and today, the most important constant seems to have been the reaction of the American people. Back then, the gutter politics of the Federalists were rejected and Thomas Jefferson was elected to the presidency. Today, we have refused to buy the politics of personal destruction offered by the House Judiciary Committee and have kept President, Bill Clinton, in office.

The past year was expensive, grueling and in many ways discouraging. But, after all was said and done, the center held and our political process demonstrated that it still works. It seems to me that it is important to appreciate the wisdom of our political system without falsely idealizing its history. An important lesson of the recent national scandal is not so much to condemn or to accept our political folly but to realize that, as we approach the twenty first century, while we have come a long way, we have a long way to go. Our success as a culture is not so much a result of our genius or effort but of God's grace.