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Ellen Belcher is the Dayton Daily News opinion pages editor. She writes about state government, education, the environment, higher education and all things Dayton.
Martin Gottlieb is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton Daily News opinion pages. He focuses on the political process itself and does such national issues as war, the economy, taxes and Social Security, as well as a hodge-podge of local and state issues.Home > Blogs > A Matter of Opinion > Archives > 2009 > August > 26
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Mike DeWine: Compassionate Kennedy worked across the aisle
While I didn’t agree with Ted Kennedy’s politics, I never questioned his compassion.
Our daughter Becky died in a car accident in 1993. Kennedy was one of the first people to reach out to Fran and me. I didn’t know him well, as I hadn’t been elected yet to the Senate. Still, he reached out with a very personal letter.
Kennedy understood tragedy. While most people only know his political side, I was fortunate enough to also know the human side. He was an extraordinarily compassionate man, who quietly looked out for people who were hurting — whether they were constituents, friends or senators.
When Republican Sen. Gordon Smith’s son, Garrett, committed suicide, Kennedy was one of the first people to offer support. Behind the scenes, he set up a memorial fund in honor of Garrett.
When a close Senate friend of mine found out that his nephew was seriously ill with cancer, Kennedy tried to find the best doctors in the country to treat him.
Though I vehemently disagreed with him about many things, especially his stance on abortion, Kennedy was the most influential legislator in the last 50 years. After 40 years in the Senate, he knew all the subjects, as he’d already fought all the battles at least once. His institutional knowledge was unmatched.
Kennedy was straight-up and honest. He would always tell you from the start what he could or could not do.
When putting together a piece of legislation in the Senate, you almost always need the support of both Republicans and Democrats. Because of the 60-vote requirement, I knew that if I wanted to get things done, I needed to walk across the aisle.
I also knew that if you got Kennedy on board, virtually all the Democrats would follow.
Several years ago, Kennedy asked me to be his Republican partner on legislation to regulate tobacco companies that were marketing their deadly products to children. He cared about children and knew I did, too.
Together, we worked our respective sides of the aisle, and we got our tobacco bill passed in the Senate two different times, but it never became law.
After I left the Senate, Kennedy continued the fight. Just a few weeks ago, President Barack Obama signed a version of our bill. Kids are safer today.
Kennedy used the Senate floor as a marketplace to talk to his colleagues and make deals. He had the philosophy of a serious legislator, with hard-core objectives and long-term goals.
He taught me persistence — not to go away, to keep coming back. You may only get one-third of the loaf in the first go-around, but that’s OK. You have to be in it for the long haul and come back the next year for another third.
Kennedy had an amazing sense of humor. When Ohio Supreme Court Justice Deborah Cook’s nomination for the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was coming up for a vote, I walked across the aisle to get support from a group of wavering Democrats. Kennedy was nearby.
The Columbus Dispatch’s Jonathan Riskind was in the Senate press gallery watching. He heard Kennedy roar, “Sweet talker! Don’t come over here. You’ve done enough damage with your sweet talking!”
Cook’s nomination passed 66 to 25.
Ted was the consummate Irishman and story teller. When Fran and I traveled with a group of Catholic senators to Pope John Paul’s funeral, on the return flight, we stopped in Shannon, Ireland, to refuel. Kennedy brought all the senators into a room — Republicans and Democrats — where he regaled us with stories and served us Irish coffee and salmon on soda bread.
Kennedy was many things, and though we clashed on most issues politically, we found common ground. He was a legislator’s legislator — and that’s what set him apart.
Mike DeWine, a Republican Ohio attorney general candidate, served eight years in the U.S. House of Representatives, was Ohio lieutenant governor and served 12 years in the U.S. Senate.
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