Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, should not have backtracked from his simple act of civility.
There was nothing wrong with the congressman shaking former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s hand Friday after the inauguration.
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Though he is leading the investigation into her private email scandal, that doesn’t mean he should refrain from extending a kind gesture.
Moments of civility seem rare in the nation’s capital, and something as simple as a warm handshake could go a long way towards undoing some of the bitterness that seems to dominate much of our politics.
It was ill advised for Chaffetz to backtrack from this moment. It was worse that his change in course was towards partisanship.
“So pleased she is not the President. I thanked her for her service and wished her luck. The investigation continues,” read his Instagram account Friday evening.
Was that really necessary?
There is nothing wrong with greeting someone on a day that symbolizes national unity. Shaking someone’s hand does not signal collusion. The friendly gesture needed no explanation.
By posting a weirdly partisan message to social media after what could have been a rare instance of comity, Chaffetz turned a nice moment into something nasty.
