America's domestic politics must stop at the water's edge, goes the old saying. These days, we may disagree with each other about, well, almost everything — but as Americans, we're supposed to present a united front when addressing global conflicts in far-flung parts of the world that impact the U.S.

Like so much of what used to be considered normal in the nation's politics, however, that principle has apparently been thrown overboard.

In the aftermath of Hamas' savage attack on Israel over the weekend, spawning a new war for one of America's closest allies, too many U.S. politicians have wasted no time in mining the unfolding crisis for political fuel.

Even as Hamas committed the brazen war crimes of targeting civilians and taking hostages, U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, D-St. Louis, issued an appallingstatementthat appears to draw moral equivalence between Israel and its attackers and calls for the U.S. to stop supporting Israeli "apartheid" against Palestinians.

Meanwhile, both of Missouri's Republican U.S. senators, Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt, cynically sought to blame the Biden administration for the attack, using a convoluted and deceptive rationale that has quickly become gospel throughout their party.

Does anything rise above grubby partisan mud fights anymore for these so-called statespeople?

Though these specific examples of ignoble politics come from both parties, it's important to note they aren't two sides of the same coin.

Rep. Bush — like Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., who made a similarly outrageous statement against Israel in the wake of the attack — is an ideological outlier in her party. Her radical views, and those of the handful of other members of "The Squad" of far-left women in the House, don't represent the mainstream of the Democratic Party, most of which (including President Joe Biden) stands four-square behind Israel.

Conversely, the shameless political opportunism of Sens. Hawley and Schmitt following the attack is very much in line with the mainstream of their party, including several presidential candidates.

While Hawley's first comment on X (formerly Twitter) after Hamas launched its rockets was an expression of support for Israel, he soon pivoted to attacking President Biden. "Let's not forget," tweeted Hawley, "this dangerous moment for Israel is made far worse by the Biden Administration's $6B giveaway to the evil and terrorist regime in Tehran."

He's talking about the administration's move in late September to unfreeze $6 billion in Iranian assets in exchange for the release of five American hostages. Iran has supported Hamas in the past, and many suspect it had a role in the attack on Israel, though Tehran denies it.

If that all sounds like a weak link, it's even weaker than that: The U.S. retains control over the $6 billion, which can be used only for humanitarian purposes, and none of it has yet been spent.

Those inconvenient facts didn't stop Hawley from issuing a barrage of tweets over days repeatedly chiding the administration for "giving" Iran $6 billion — which, again, was Iranian money to begin with and remains unspent and under U.S. control. Details, details.

In fairness to Hawley, vast swaths of his party are telling the same corrosive lie, including Schmitt and several GOP presidential candidates. Former President Donald Trump, as usual, took the lie to new depths, alleging that "American taxpayer dollars helped fund these attacks." (Again: not U.S. money, and still unspent.)

The importance of setting this kind of politics aside right now isn't just about supporting an important ally in a dangerous part of the world. The dead, missing and taken in Israel and Gaza include Americans. That alone should elevate the issue out of the domestic political muck.

Some get it, like Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Town and Country, who is the closest thing Missouri's congressional delegation has to a traditional establishment Republican. Her restrained and respectful statements since the weekend supporting Israel, condemning the attack and leaving domestic politics out of it is a reminder of what was once the responsible norm for most members of both parties.

No more. Now a few fringy Democrats like Bush can't resist using the crisis to undermine America's commitment to Israel, while legions of Republican demagogues like Hawley and Schmitt use it to attack the White House.

What a sad commentary on today's political landscape in general — and, in particular, on St. Louisans' pathetic representation in Washington.

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