It's a sad indication of where Washington has come, where policy differences almost necessarily become questions of integrity. I came to Washington in the late '70s, and people had the ability in the past to have intense policy differences but didn't feel the need to question the other person's character.

Summary

This quote highlights the unfortunate reality of contemporary politics, suggesting that in Washington, policy disagreements often result in attacks on one's integrity. The speaker, who arrived in Washington in the late 1970s, remembers a time when intense debates on policy did not involve impugning the other person's character. The quote emphasizes how discourse has deteriorated, as politicians now find it necessary to question each other's morality, rather than focusing solely on the issues at hand. It serves as a lament about the current state of politics, where policy differences have become deeply personal.

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