ABC News’ Jonathan Karl conducted exit interviews with four congress critters who lost their jobs in November. Rep. Chet Edwards (D-Texas) and Rep. Mike Castle (R-Del.) said particularly sad things:
Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Texas, who lost to Republican Bill Flores, echoed Wamp’s worry over the increasing divide among Republicans and Democrats.
“I think that there’s more partisanship today than I’ve seen in the 20 years I’ve been in Congress,” Edwards said. “I think the partisanship might get uglier before the American people finally blame one party or the other, and express their views at the ballot box.”
This is sort of what people do every time they go to the ballot box!
And Castle:
Rep. Mike Castle, R-Del., who was taken out in his primary by Tea Party favorite Christine O’Donnell, expresed alarm at the division the movement had caused within his own party.
“The Tea Party movement really is quite a bit different than the old Republican conservative movementl, ” Castle said. “They’re more than willing to take out Republicans, call us Republicans in name only, or whatever it may be. It was one thing when you were dealing with Democrats and Republicans. Now you’re dealing with divisions within your own party.”
Castle, a known centrist, also said that working with the other party — the Democrats — once seen as the cornerstone of a functioning democracy, has become a punishable offense.
“I mean, I know I suffered in my primary defeat [because] I had supported some Democratic legislation, supported the president from time to time. And that was treated as a great sin,” Castle told ABC News.
Poor critters!