Polite, pathetic Paul Ryan

We thank Speaker Paul Ryan, who is set to leave Congress at the end of the year and dodge what could well be a Democratic midterm wave, for leading the Republican-controlled House with such a civil tone these past three years. With a civil tone, Ryan abandoned what had been his deep commitment to immigration reform, toeing the harsh nativist line that has swamped the GOP with the rise of Donald Trump.

With a civil tone, Ryan resisted all sane gun control measures even as mass shootings mounted.

With a civil tone, Ryan pushed through massive tax cuts, lopsided to the wealthiest Americans — and hurting high-tax, Democratic-leaning states like New York — that will explode deficits and debt he built a career claiming to care about.

With a civil tone, Ryan pressed and pressed and pressed to gut the Affordable Care Act, which has helped millions of Americans get desperately needed health insurance.

With a civil tone, Ryan stood by his intelligence committee as it openly did the President’s bidding rather than delve deep into the facts on Russian election interference.

And with a civil tone, Ryan, who claims to believe in decency in politics, expressed vague discomfort with some of Trump’s worst lies, nastiest invective and — as Ryan said — racist rhetoric, without actually doing anything to rein in Trump.

Thank you, Paul Ryan, for the civil, earnest, respectful tone you brought to Washington. A lot of good it did.