The attitude that "both sides do it so it's ok" is not a legimate point. We should hold our political leaders to a high standard by pointing out when they're behavior is sub par. Pandering to a base and creating a hostile political environment should not acceptable.
Nobody said "both sides do it" is a legitimate point. The legitimate point is the hypocrisy of the article only pointing out one side's participation.

The solution to the matter is to overcome the horrid education system in this country that has made civics uninteresting and left us to the circuses of reality TV.