My ninth-grade social studies teacher required a written report on President Eisenhower’s State of the Union address in 1953. I have watched every State of the Union address since.

All State of the Union addresses are brag fests when the president expounds on what he has accomplished and lays out plans for what he hopes to accomplish in the future. His party applauds and cheers. The opposing party mostly sits on their hands. In the case of Democrats, the reaction also includes grimacing and making faces.

Considering the current political climate, I expected more of the same Tuesday evening. However, Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, shocked me when she brazenly tore the printed copy of the president’s speech while he was still at the podium. She did this in front of the cameras with millions of domestic and foreign viewers.

I expected her to make faces, but the venomous act of hate she displayed toward the office of the president was far behind the bounds of human decency.

She acted like the vicious alpha-female leader of a pack of jackals. I realize she and most members of her party despise Trump, but the office of the president demands respect.

Her actions were the most abhorrent political act by a national leader I have ever witnessed. I predict her actions will cost the Democratic candidates millions of votes this fall. Her actions will be featured in countless political ads thought the country.

She acted like a pouting, petulant 2-year-old having a temper tantrum.

The Democrats also shot themselves in the foot (perhaps higher) with their performance in the Iowa caucuses. America got better, faster results 60 years ago with the land-based phone systems. While the National Democratic Party will try and blame the Iowa DFL for this fiasco, don’t believe them — the national DFL oversees every step of every state contest.

As I sit writing this letter, I am listening to the Senate vote on impeachment. This was a failed partisan witch hunt from the beginning. I believe the Democrats will pay dearly for wasting three years on an effort that they knew from the beginning had no  chance of passing in the Senate. The question becomes why waste the time when you know you cannot win?

Now, the question is, “How can we trust any Democrat to lead our great country when they wasted the past three years in a failed attempt to impeach the president, could not even manage to run a state caucus properly and their top leaders act like vindictive children?

The Democrats have become their own worst enemies.

Don Sorensen

Albert Lea