washingtonpost.com
By Jennifer Rubin
The funeral for Madeleine Albright on Wednesday was a moment to remember not only the first female secretary of state, but rather a whole generation of public servants. This includes a number of revered Americans who have died in recent years — including Arizona Sen. John McCain, Kansas Sen. Bob Dole, President George H.W. Bush, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Colin Powell, the first African American secretary of state.
We can be grateful if not awestruck for these lives well lived, and for the determination of these individuals to put country over partisan and personal concerns. But they also, sadly, remind us that the general quality of leaders (especially senators) has degenerated dramatically.
It is impossible to imagine a bipartisan outpouring of admiration in the future for the Republicans who currently spend their time performing for right-wing media and pretending that defeated former president Donald Trump is a stable genius. And it’s hard to fathom Cabinet members who carried water for an unhinged president being touted as great patriots by hundreds inside Washington National Cathedral.
It might behoove the current crop of politicians — who seem to think their greatest achievements are reelection — to think about the legacy they are leaving behind. They should consider some of the common attributes of those lives we have recently celebrated.
First, they were all decent human beings who observed rules of conduct. Bush was famous for his thank-you notes. Albright, who died on March 23, was a loving parent who called her children each day. In dress and in speech, they upheld a certain formality that reflected their deep respect for public institutions. They did not smear opponents or engage in petty feuds or question others’ patriotism. They declined to join the trend of politicians seeking to destroy political foes that began in the Newt Gingrich era.
Second, they extended themselves to others. They were kind to junior staff and acted with good humor toward members of both parties. These were serious people who did not take themselves too seriously. They lived with joy. Hillary Clinton’s description of Albright was a highlight of Wednesday’s ceremony: “She was irrepressible, wickedly funny, very stylish, and always ready for a laugh. She brought the same energy to her friendships as she did to her diplomacy,” Clinton recalled. “Yes, it’s true. She did teach the foreign minister of Botswana ‘the Macarena’ at a U.N. Security Council meeting and snuck off early from an official event to do the tango in Buenos Aires.”
Third, they believed the United States was a force for good in the world and could live up to its promise. They were warriors for democracy, liberty, human rights and a rules-based world order. Their legacy was in the people who could live in peace and freedom because of their leadership. As former president Bill Clinton said about Albright:
"From the day she entered the U.N. till the day she left, she tried to stick up for people who were left out and left behind. And in spite of all of its imperfections, and we all know them, I’m very grateful that the peace is held in Bosnia for now more than 26 years. We see her legacy honored here by the presence of the vice president of Colombia, where Madeleine believed being a good neighbor was dealing with a country that was the oldest democracy in South America, where a third of the land was then under control of the Narco traffickers with Plan Colombia. Today, we see in Ukraine all too tragically what Madeleine always knew; that the advance of freedom is neither inevitable or permanent, and that in politics, where the lure of power is strong and the temptation to abuse it is often irresistible, there are no permanent victories or defeats."
Finally, they respected the intelligence and decency of the American people, choosing to spend much of their time after leaving office to educate students and the public at large. They taught. They not only read widely, but wrote prolifically. In Albright’s case, she authored seven bestsellers.
Albright, like others, was an exemplary public servant and a trailblazer for women. As Hillary Clinton exclaimed, “She didn’t just help other women. She spent her entire life counseling and cajoling, inspiring and lifting up so many of us who are here today.” She added, “So the angels better be wearing their best pins and putting on their dancing shoes. Because if, as Madeleine believed, there’s a special place in hell for women who don’t support other women, they haven’t seen anyone like her yet.” That prompted a joyous round of applause
Not everyone in public life has the skill and character of these figures but, surely, today’s public officials can do better. Certainly, they notice the vast gap in stature between themselves and these great Americans. They must want to be better than they are, right? If only they would aspire to be more than political gadflies and clownish insult artists, the country and the world could be more peaceful, more educated and more decent. Let’s hope some of those in attendance or watching would come to that conclusion.