My only observation to make at this point is that I will miss Portman. I appreciate the fact that one of his reasons for retiring is that he is sick and tired of the partisanship in the Senate. That reminds me of a similar statement made almost 30 years ago by Colorado Democrat Tim Wirth (1987 - 1993), who decided to retire with only one term in the Senate with one reason for doing so was that he was disappointed that the Senate turned out to be just as partisan as the House had been. We need more Senators who think that way, although given that we have Senate Leaders like Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer, it is understandable to look the whole situation over and conclude that there's no end in sight. I will also miss the fact that he was one of the few Republican Senators who supported SSM because he loves and supports his openly gay son.
Portman is slimy, and he contributed to that hyper-partisanship. Where was he when his president was commiting crimes worthy of impeachment? Falling in line. Where was he when his minority party was ramming through yet another unqualified hack to a lifetime court appointment? Falling in line.
