Funerals for civility

John McCain will certainly be missed. The Republic this Republican with big "R" fought for as a military and a senator is under stress test by the forces of incivility unleashed by the Trump presidency.

McCain minced no words to warn against the "half-baked nationalism" and its "blood and soil" dark undertones.

But while fighting his last battle against cancer, he scored two magnificent blows to those who have turned the Republican party against republican principles.

First, with his "no" vote on dashing the Obama healthcare act without proper debate and support -precisely the reason he opposed Obama's law as vehemently as Trump's: civility.

Civility in Congress matters maters. It's about following the original design of the Framers and a 250-year-old tradition of making key laws in a bipartisan way.

The difference between "Jacksonian democracy" or populism and a republic is precisely that. Popular vote is the ever-changing matter that must be opposed and controlled by  Republican form and rule. That's the difference between "majority rule" and rule of law, between "democratic republics" (code name for dictatorships) and "republic of laws" that apply equally to everyone. Included the President of the United States, who's not the King of the United States, even when and if acting like one.

The second blow that McCain gave to those who want to skip the rule of law and rule by tweets was his own funeral, carefully orchestrated as the old senator and formidable campaigner McCain was, into a remarkable display of civility and bipartisanship.

President Bush and Obama were selected on purpose to speak and show how the Republic stands above party and -hopefully- in good health.

President Bush made special point in condemning hatred and bigotry against Latino immigrants and non-white people, as well as vulgar personal attacks and comments that demean the offices of the US as a Republic.

President Obama joined the display of civility, reminding how his political duels with McCain in both campaign and government helped him (and president Bush before him) to rise their game and check their own mistakes.

McCain had indeed his last hurrah and also his last laugh.

Perhaps this was not a funeral but a baptism. 

Perhaps the public display of civility across the political spectrum and public officers -past and present- will help those who believe in our Constitution keep faith that the Union will prevail and come out of this uncivil war stronger than before.

Perhaps this is John S. McCain's lasting victory.

Time for a visit to The Presidents Club?

The recent funeral of former First Lady and First Mother Barbara Bush was a good opportunity to watch civility in action among the families and clans of all political persuasions in Washington -from former Presidents to their grandchildren-.

One after another, the speeches given by Bush's family  members, friends and political foes rivaled each other in respect, grace and self-deprecating humor. They turned the majestic cathedral and the pain of the circumstance into a celebration of American political traditions at their best.

Those who dress down their own appointees in public and double down on personal attacks  seem not to understand that Americans like candor and kindness and are turned off by bluster and arrogance. For Americans, courage is showing grace under pressure. And the Bush family showed what courage looks like in parting with their beloved matriarch.

Those who don't appreciate our Constitution and its institutions call them instead the "deep state".

If there is a "deep state" in our United States , Fareed Zakaria remarked in an insightful article, that "deep state" is the state of the rule of law. 

That "deep state" also has a long-standing tradition: a "Presidents Club", that was informally instituted by Jefferson and Adams when they asked their predecessors for advice. 

Harry Truman established it formally at Eisenhower's inaugural and Herbert Hoover was its first manager. Richard Nixon presented the Presidents Club with a brownstone building as a permanent lodging for its members, who have been using it regularly for the last 60 years.

There is also a tradition of the annual White House Correspondents Association dinner. Every year,  presidents are "roasted"  in public and forced to show they can take and make jokes about themselves.

A tradition that First Ladies also enjoy publicly lambasting their powerful husbands:

Last year, for the first time in almost 60 years, the sitting president declined to attend the dinner.

Mr. Trump's absence at Mrs. Bush's funeral went beyond a lack of humor.

Declining to show up to Mrs. Bush funeral is a further step downhill -from the shining city of civility on top of it we look up for leadership to the swamps and moats that surround it and Mr. Trump promised to drain-. It is so because it demonstrates Mr Trump fears the embarrassment of facing Mrs. Bush's family without apologizing for his past insults than the embarrassment of sending his wife to do his job.

Harsh words are normal currency during political campaigns, even during the arguments and political fray that come before and after.

Even boxers shake hands after butchering each other 12 rounds on the ring. And show respect once the match is over apologizing for the insults and vulgarities they threw at each other to sell tickets for the show.

The word "President" means among other things, to "preside", to lead by example and set the tone of public discourse and public behavior. This is way below the office that George Washington left warning against extreme partisanship. 

The Trump administration will pass.  

Mr. Trump will then also become a former president. 

He can chose to be a former president like Richard Nixon and fade in disgrace or to adopt the civility of the other four former presidents who showed up at Ms Bush funeral and who sat near his solitary wife.

There's still time to join the Presidents' club, Mr. President.

It would be good not just for you, but for the institution you currently represent and your successors. You might find some experienced friends as well.