Risch on civility: Fuhgeddaboutit

In his Idaho Politics Weekly column, Chuck Malloy comments:

Picture this. The Boise City Club wanted somebody to talk about the subject of civility in politics. So who did the club ask to be the speaker at its recent luncheon?

Sen. Jim Risch, who hardly is a model of congeniality. Inviting him to speak about civility would be like having Tiger Woods lecture about family values. Not surprisingly, there were a few people reflecting dismay about Risch speaking at this forum.

Then, to create more buzz, he said wasn’t buying all this stuff about peace, love, and civility. Risch was “civil” in his presentation, but the meaning was clear. Anybody who thinks we can have civility in politics is living in a dream world.

You know what? He’s right. Civility is unattainable in the real world, and in a society where anybody can say almost anything they want about politicians. People also have the freedom to be jerks, if they wish. So, it’s no mystery why political civility doesn’t prevail. More here.

Question: Do you agree/disagree with U.S. Sen. Risch that civility in national politics is a lost cause?