Thank you Mr. Lincoln

First a quick note: if you feel the need for a dose of patriotism, Washington, D.C. is a great place to be. If we do nothing else as a country, we do monuments really well. There is nothing as inspiring as a visit to the Jefferson or FDR memorials along the Tidal Basin, or hitting the war memorials along the National Mall. But there may be no more awe-inspiring place in all of Washington than the Lincoln Memorial.

Which leads me to wonder: what would Lincoln make of his republican party today?

Here's a guess: he wouldn't recognize it. What made Lincoln one of our greatest presidents was his willingness to do things that were best for our nation, but not necessarily for him. Case in point: the Civil War.

Lincoln had hoped to avoid civil war, but, because of circumstances not of his making, and the political rancor they inspired, it was practically a faint accompli by the time he was sworn in. He also knew there was no other way to save the Union but to go war. It's easy to forget that the Civil War was opposed by most Americans above the Mason Dixon line. Lincoln was treated particularly harshly by the media of his time, and found as much opposition from the members of his own party as he did from the Democrats. Fortunately for us, his calls for common sense, and the Union, prevailed. Lincoln paid the ultimate price for those decisions. Based on what we know of him, chances are pretty good that, even if he knew of his fate, Lincoln would have made the same decisions anyway. Why? Because he always put his country before himself and his party.

You'll find no republican willing to do that today. From health care to tax policy, from education to the social safety net, modern republicans have simply abandoned their countrymen. Party is first, individuals are second and country runs a distant third.

And none of that is patriotic.