Opinion: Feinstein knows where incivility in politics can lead. Her call for patience with Trump is reasonable.

To the editor: While I seldom agree with Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-San Francisco) on anything, she is in the stateswoman category for advising patience in dealing with President Trump. Liberals who disagree need to consider her background, solidly grounded in the chaos of politics in the 1970s. (“Ignore the critics. Sen. Dianne Feinstein is outperforming many half her age, with old-fashioned civility,” Sept. 4)

President Nixon’s resignation under threat of impeachment, and the long investigation leading up to it, weakened this country for years. The people demanding Trump’s impeachment have either forgotten this or are not old enough to remember.

Feinstein became mayor of San Francisco and was thus positioned to run for Senate because of the assassinations of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk by former Supervisor Dan White in 1978. White had a personal grievance: Neither Moscone nor Milk would back his reappointment as supervisor.

Having lived through the bloodstained history of the ’70s, Feinstein reasonably would prefer a functioning presidency to an impeachment free-for-all, if impeachment can be avoided.

Richard C. Sipan, Scottsdale, Ariz.

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To the editor: On Inauguration Day in 2009, some prominent Republicans met and plotted to obstruct the new president and his fellow Democrats on everything. They didn’t even wait one day to see whether they could work with President Obama.

By contrast, President Trump has amply shown who he is and will remain. Yet Feinstein calls for patience. This — among other things — is why people are frustrated with Feinstein, and they have been doing a slow burn for years.

The political environment has changed, but Feinstein has not adapted. She and her supporters rationalize that she is doing what’s best for the country. But after losing control of the White House, Senate, the House, governorships, state legislatures and more, there should be a wake-up call that something needs to change.

Sticking to an outdated MO does not help get the country on the right track.

Dan Jacobs, San Diego

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