I've had the honor of knowing David Brooks for years. I admire him and have been deeply moved, informed, inspired, and bettered by his books and talks. He was a Republican when I met him. I don't know his party affiliation now. What I do know is he has always been a man of virtue, objective reasoning, pragmatism, wisdom, and invaluable insights. What he states here is painful and true. I will continue to fight to stop this awful reality undermining good governance and causing such awful impact on dedicated public servants who are doing vital work for our safety, strength and national security.