Urgent plea to Bill, George and Barack: Get up off the couch

It’s not just what’s written in stone. There are also many unwritten traditions we Americans respect. One of the most important, following the example of George Washington — who, once he left office, went back to Mount Vernon and was never heard from again — is that former presidents sit on the sidelines and resist the temptation to criticize their successors, no matter how much they disagree. 

That tradition has been a great blessing. For more than 200 years, it has...