The targeting of Utah Sen. Robert F. Bennett by ultra-conservatives is an excellent example of why lifelong moderate Republicans like me left the GOP.

I was particularly chagrined when one of the contenders for Bennett’s seat said that his supporters were fed up with the way Washington conducts its business because people have to compromise to get things done, or as he so eloquently put it, “[give] this to get that.”

That type of compromise, of course, is the essence of politics in a democracy. A party unwilling to engage in civilized discourse, unwilling to compromise on anything to get forward momentum on important issues and unwilling to support any candidate who doesn’t satisfy some anti-abortion, anti-gay-marriage or other litmus test is destined to be increasingly irrelevant on the American political scene.

Gordon J. Louttit

Manhattan Beach