13 politicians who should make you feel good about politics - Washington Post

It's easy to get down about the current state of politics.

But for all the negative attention focused on the White House at the moment, there are lots and lots of politicians — in both parties! — doing politics the right way: working together to solve problems big and small, often totally out of the national limelight.

On Sunday, I highlighted eight of them:

* Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.)

* Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.)

* Sen. Michael F. Bennet (D-Colo.)

* Gov. Charlie Baker (R-Mass.)

* Gov. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.)

* Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.)

* Sen. Christopher A. Coons (D-Del.)

* Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.)

Since that piece posted, I've received lots of other nominations for politicians who have found ways — even in these most partisan and negative of times — to be productive legislators or chief executives. A few of my favorites are below.

* Gov. Larry Hogan (R-Md.): No one even knew who Hogan was when he ran for governor of this most Democratic of states in 2014. But a combination of disgust with outgoing Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) and Hogan's outsider appeal led to one of the biggest upsets of the midterms. Hogan, before he even got started as governor, announced that he had cancer. Despite what originally sounded like a bleak prognosis, Hogan soldiered on about his gubernatorial duties — winning him plaudits from partisans of all stripes. His early and steadfast disavowal of Donald Trump as the party's presidential nominee endeared him even further to the Democratic-leaning electorate. A Washington Post poll conducted in October showed Hogan with an eye-popping 71 percent approval rating.

* Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.): Schiff was elected in one of the best (and most expensive) races of the 1990s and has kept a relatively low profile since then. Unlike many of his California delegation colleagues, he's never sought statewide office, focusing instead on accruing seniority and expertise in the House. Schiff handled himself with aplomb as the ranking Democrat on the special Benghazi committee and will be a central player in the Trump administration as the ranking minority-party member on the Intelligence Committee.

* Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.): Sasse was the single most articulate Republican opponent of Trump's candidacy in Congress. The former college president calmly and comprehensively laid out his reasons for refusing to get on the Trump train to anyone willing to listen. His Twitter feed also demonstrated a willingness to laugh at himself, a rare and valued trait among politicians. It's no surprise that many Republicans see Sasse as a future national candidate.

* Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.): In a chamber where every member wakes up and sees a future president in the mirror, Reed is unique. He's spent a career focused on military issues, emerging as a thoughtful and often nonpartisan spokesman on the future of our fighting forces. (Reed is the ranking member on the Armed Services Committee.) Reed is an inside player, and a deeply respected one; he's one of the few senators who command the attention and respect of his colleagues — no matter their party affiliation.

* Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine): Collins is a member of a rare and vanishing class of politician: a genuine moderate. Long operating in the shadow of former senator Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), Collins has become a major force in her own right over the past decade or so. She is regularly the swing vote on key policy matters and rarely allows herself to be swayed by prevailing political winds.