Howard Baker, Civility, and a Bygone Era

I had the privilege of delivering a lecture earlier this week as part of a conference honoring the 85th birthday of former Senate Majority Leader Howard H. Baker Jr. The conference took place at the University of Tennessee at the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy. The center is housed in an amazing new facility on the University of Tennessee campus, archives a number of important political papers, and has a really interesting museum of Tennessee political history and the career of Howard Baker.

The conference was a stark reminder of a bygone era in American politics when our governmental institutions worked and where our elected officials could argue and debate but in the end come together to find solutions and come to agreement for the greater good. In the current era of hyperpartisanship and ideological zealotry, individuals like Howard Baker and even Ronald Reagan would have their ideological credentials and party loyalty constantly questioned. But the type of leadership Baker exuded is something the current era desperately needs as the country faces daunting challenges, yet the political system is paralyzed as governing has given was to constant campaigning. There are few real statesman left.

In 1998, at the invitation of then Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-MS), Baker delivered an address to the U.S. Senate titled "On Herding Cats" in which he imparted his philosophy of leadership. It's an address that every member of the incoming 112th Congress should read, especially the leadership. The Congress, and the country, would be a better place if Baker's view of political leadership became the norm and not the exception.

Here is a snippet:

"Very often in the course of my 18 years in the Senate, and especially in the last eight years as Republican Leader and then Majority Leader, I found myself engaged in fire-breathing, passionate debate with my fellow Senators over the great issues of the times: civil rights, Vietnam, environmental protection, Watergate, the Panama Canal, tax cuts, defense spending, the Middle East, relations with the Soviet Union, and dozens more. But no sooner had the final word been spoken and the last vote taken than I would usually walk to the desk of my most recent antagonist, extend a hand of friendship, and solicit his report on the next issue for the following day. People may think we're crazy when we do that. Or perhaps they think our debates are fraudulent to begin with, if we can put our passion aside so quickly and embrace our adversaries so readily. But we aren't crazy and we aren't frauds. This ritual is as natural as breathing here in the Senate, and it is as important as anything that happens in Washington or in the country we serve, for that matter. It signifies that, as Lincoln said, 'We are not enemies but friends. We must not be enemies.' It pulls us back from the brink of rhetorical, intellectual, and even physical violence that, thank God, has only rarely disturbed the peace of the Senate. It is what makes us America and not Bosnia. It is what makes us the most stable government on Earth, and not another civil war waiting to happen. We are doing the business of the American people. We do it every day. We have to do it with the same people every day. And if we cannot be civil to one another, and if we stop dealing with those with whom we disagree, or that we don't like, we would soon stop functioning altogether."

A Bitter Pill to Swallow

This election season yielded few surprises--Republicans cleaned the clocks of Democrats all across the nation as predicted. And school levies all across Ohio were defeated.

Despite the fact that the school funding system in Ohio has been declared unconstitutional, little has been done in the way of fixing the system. So schools, big and small, urban, rural, and suburban must continually go begging their communities, hat in hand, for money to keep the school doors open and buses running. It is a messed up system and Columbus continues to ignore the problem. With an $8 billion budget gap to fill in Ohio, a long term fix is nowhere on the horizon.

I was being interviewed for NPR last week about the elections and happened to mention a school levy I worked on in my community which failed--a bitter pill for me personally to swallow. They asked me to write a post for their blog. You can read it here.

The Most Mean-Spirited Election Ever?

So many of my students and others I talk to think every election we have is the worst, most mean-spirited, most bare-knuckled ever. It's not. It's the way its always been. The difference: television and advertising means that citizens are continually bombarded by negative messages. But our American politics has always been negative, especially during campaign season.

Check out this video about the Election of 1800.

Hat Tip: Political Wire

"No President or Senator Cares What Political Scientists Think"

Dead. Solid. Perfect.

This video is not only hilarious, it is also largely accurate. Here's a dirty little secret: most political scientists know very little, nor care, about actual politics.

Hat tip: Political Wire

The Debate Over Debates at the Akron Press Club: My Take

At the October 26 Tom Ganley event at the Akron Press Club, Tom Ganley was asked (about 40 minutes into the event) about his decision to reject offers from both the Akron Press Club and Cleveland City Club to participate in a debate with his opponent, Congresswoman Betty Sutton. At first, Ganley said that "the playing field wasn't fair." He asserted that he would not be "welcome and severely attacked." When pressed by the moderator, M.L. Schultze, the News Director at WKSU and a board member of the Akron Press Club about what would have been unfair to him about the atmosphere at the press club, he then stated that "I don't think this atmosphere would have been unfair to me" and that "there were some conflicts with some of the times we were talking about here." (By the way, Ganley is the only candidate that has appeared twice within about a year in front of the Akron Press Club in recent memory. His other appearance occurred October 1, 2009 when he was a candidate for Ohio's U.S. Senate seat. You can watch the video here).

Since I was intimately involved in the negotiations on behalf of the Akron Press Club and Bliss Institute, I have a few things to say on the record concerning the debate controversy. On July 28, 2010, I approached both the Ganley and Sutton campaigns about the possibility of a debate organized by the Akron Press Club and Bliss Institute. I told both campaigns I was gauging their interest and willingness to get into serious negotiations about a possible debate. The Sutton campaign agreed just over a week later. The Ganley campaign would never commit to a debate. There was no scheduling issue--we never even got to the stage where we could discuss possible dates. On August 30, the Ganley campaign officially rejected out offer.

As far as the fairness issue is concerned, the Akron Press Club and Bliss Institute has hosted a number of debates over the last few election cycles including a 2006 debate in the 13th Congressional District and a 2008 debate in the 16th Congressional District. We have never heard complaints that we were somehow biased or unfair in the way we conducted those and other events. Quite the contrary. We pride ourselves on our neutrality--any hint of bias or unfairness would be counterproductive and hurt our ability in the future to host these types of events which we view as a public service above all else. I, personally, have worked very hard in the past, and would have done so in this case, to ensure that both campaigns were okay with the rules and regulations before proceeding. No debate would have commenced unless both campaigns signed off on everything following what would have been intense negotiation insuring the fairest process possible.

Tom Ganley's Appearance at Akron Press Club

Congressional candidate, Tom Ganley, the Republican candidate for Ohio's 13th Congressional District, spoke at a luncheon sponsored by the Akron Press Club and Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at The University of Akron.

You can access the unedited video here

He spoke for about 15 minutes and then answered questions for a little over a half hour.

Ganley's opponent, Betty Sutton, spoke at the same venue on October 20.

Betty Sutton's Appearance at Akron Press Club

Congresswoman Betty Sutton, the Democratic candidate for reelection to Ohio's 13th Congressional District, spoke at a luncheon sponsored by the Akron Press Club and Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at The University of Akron.

You can access the unedited video here.

She spoke for a little over a half hour and than answered questions for the last half.

Sutton's challenger, Tom Ganley, is scheduled to speak at the same venue on October 26.

Back to the Future: Solar Panels to Return to White House

In 1979, at the height of the energy crisis, President Jimmy Carter installed 32 solar panels atop the West Wing of the White House to great fanfare. They were removed by the Reagan administration in 1986.

Today the Obama administration announced it would be bringing solar back to the White House next spring spearheading a push to promote solar energy. This time the panels will be located on the White House residence.

Not surprisingly, partisan critics are comparing President Obama to Carter for his move back to solar. The problem: they fail to criticize to George W. Bush as well. "In 2003, President George W. Bush quietly installed a series of three solar systems on the White House grounds, including panels on the pool cabana to help with water heating." The hard cold truth is that the development of green energy and energy independence is not a partisan issue, or at least it shouldn't be.

Ganley, Sutton to Appear at Akron Press Club in Separate Events

There will be no debates in the Ohio 13th Congressional District this autumn. The Ganley campaign rejected the offer from the Bliss Institute and Akron Press Club for a debate while the Sutton campaign accepted our offer almost immediately. However, we managed to get both candidates to agree to speak to the Akron Press Club in separate events in October. Both candidates will make a speech and engage in Q&A for at least 20 minutes after their speeches. It doesn't take the place of a real debate but it's the best we could do since no debates will be occurring in the 13th Congressional District this 2010 election cycle.

From the press release:

The Akron Press Club is pleased to provide a forum for the two candidates seeking to represent Ohio’s 13th Congressional District. They will speak at separate lunches, with time for questions following each presentation. Both events are cosponsored by The University of Akron’s Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics.

Democrat Betty Sutton will be the guest speaker at the Akron Press Club’s luncheon Wednesday, Oct. 20, at the University of Akron’s Martin Center. Sutton is a Barberton native who was first was elected to represent the 13th Congressional District in 2006. She was re-elected in 2008 and seeking a third term this fall. Sutton served in the Ohio House from 1993 to 2001. She was a member of the Summit County Council from 1991 to 1992 and a member of the Barberton City Council from 1990 to 1991.

Republican Tom Ganley will be the guest speaker at the Akron Press Club’s luncheon Tuesday, Oct. 26, at the University of Akron’s Martin Center. Ganley is president and CEO of the Ganley Automotive Group, the largest auto group in Ohio with 32 dealerships and more than 1,000 employees. In 2007 Ganley received the highest honor the FBI can give a civilian, the Louis E. Peters Memorial Service Award. The Cuyahoga County Police Chiefs Association named Ganley Man of the Year in 2006 for his support of law enforcement in the Cleveland area.

Details for both lunches:
· Time: Buffet luncheons begin at 11:45 a.m. Program follows.
· Place: Martin University Center, 105 Fir Hill, University of Akron campus.
· Cost: $15 for Press Club members, $20 for non-members.
· Reservations requested: Call 330-564-4211 or e-mail RSVP@cmoresearch.com

Ohio AG Candidates to Speak to Akron Press Club

Well, we couldn't get the DeWine camp to agree to a debate so we arranged the next best thing: both Ohio Attorney General candidates will be speaking to the Akron Press Club in the next couple weeks in separate appearances. I hope as many people from the general public and media can attend.

From the press release:

The Akron Press Club Presents

Candidates for Attorney General

The Akron Press Club is pleased to provide a forum for the two candidates seeking the Ohio Attorney General office. They will speak at separate lunches, with time for questions following each presentation

Both events are cosponsored by The University of Akron's Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics.

Sept. 28 -- MIKE DeWINE

Republican Mike DeWine will be the guest speaker at the luncheon on Tuesday, Sept. 28, at The University of Akron's Martin Center.

DeWine represented Ohio in the U.S. House and Senate and served as lieutenant governor. He began his political career as a county prosecutor and later was elected to the Ohio Senate. He represented Ohio's Seventh Congressional District for four terms before being elected as lieutenant governor for a four-year term that began in 1991. DeWine was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1994, where he served two terms

Oct. 7 -- RICHARD CORDRAY

Democrat Richard Cordray, the current attorney general, will be the guest speaker at the luncheon on Thursday, Oct. 7, at The University of Akron's Martin Center.

Cordray was elected attorney general in 2008. He won the Ohio treasurer position in 2002 and also has served as Franklin County treasurer. He served in the Ohio House from 1991-1993. From 1993-1994 Cordray was state solicitor. He also was a law clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justices Anthony Kennedy and Byron White.

Details for both lunches:
--Time: Buffet luncheons begin at 11:45 a.m. Program follows.
--Place: Martin University Center, 105 Fir Hill, University of Akron campus.
--Cost: $15 for Press Club Members, $20 for Non-Members.
--Reservations requested: Call 330-564-4211 or e-mail RSVP@CMOResearch.com

Obama's New Oval Office Digs

One of the cool things that presidents get to do is change the decor of the Oval Office. We're not just talking about the pictures or busts or knickknacks on the shelves; we're talking chairs, sofas, and perhaps most importantly: the oval shaped rug that will adorn the Oval Office for the rest of that president's presidency and for a couple years into the next administration.

For the first couple years, President Obama has used the Bush 43 decor until his own furnishings were ready. Those Bush items, including the sunburst rug, are off to a future home in the Bush Library and Museum. When the president was recently on vacation, the Oval Office was renovated. According to the White House, no taxpayer money was used for the makeover.

Vanity Fair has a compilation of Oval Office decor going back to Jimmy Carter and you can vote on your favorite.

One thing I have noticed: there is always a fresh bowl of apples in the Obama Oval Office.

American Soldier

The United States is concurrently fighting two of the longest wars in American history, Iraq and Afghanistan, yet it often feels as if that is not really happening. The wars are rarely on the front page and not in the consciousness of the average American. Well, here's a newsflash: American soldiers are still fighting and dying overseas. One of those soldiers is my nephew, Kyle, and here is his story.

For those of you interested in the story of the American infantry, you might pick up the book Grunts, authored by my good friend John McManus, a prolific historian of the American combat experience. McManus is one of the best storytellers I know and a master of archival research and oral history.