Livingston Farewell: Plea for Moderation

Rep. Bob Livingston (R-La.), largely silent in the two months since he shocked his colleagues by announcing plans to resign rather than seek the post of House speaker, emerged to make a final plea for moderation and consensus as he ended his 21-year legislative career. “ ‘Politician’ is not a dirty word, and compromise is the glue that renders democracy possible,” Livingston said in his farewell address on the House floor. “To my friends on the left: Government left unwatched can lead to injustice. To my friends on the right: Government is not inherently evil.”