I was saddened to learn Sunday morning of the passing of someone I’ve known and engaged with numerous times over nearly 40 years, former U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar. I hope you’ll pardon me a few thoughts about Sen. Lugar’s estimable career as a man I deeply respected, and was inspired by.
He was elected as Mayor of Indianapolis back in the early 1970s. He was forever “tarnished” with being called Richard Nixon’s “favorite mayor,” a moniker used derisively by the left and the media (but I repeat myself). But much later, shortly after Barack Obama was elected to the US Senate, he quietly took him under his tutelage. Suddenly, the media coverage became a bit more favorable.
Lugar paid for that mentorship in part with a GOP primary defeat in 2012 when, nearing age 80, he unsuccessfully sought a fifth term to Richard Mourdock, Indiana’s state treasurer. He lost to Democrat Joe Donnelly. Donnelly was just replaced in the 2018 election by Republican Mike Braun. Lugar was the first US Senator in Indiana history to be elected to four consecutive terms.
Lugar came to the Senate in 1976, succeeding US Sen. Vance Hartke (D). He had lost a previous challenge to Birch Bayh in the Democratic year of 1974. As noted earlier, Lugar had been a highly successful and innovative mayor of Indianapolis. In 1982, when I was helping then-Rep. John Hiler (R-IN) run his reelection campaign, we coordinated closely with Sen. Lugar’s campaign through his estimable campaign manager, now President of Purdue University and former Gov. Mitch Daniels.
Lugar was also a good athlete, and was often spotted in 10K runs around Capitol Hill, including the former “Nike Challenge” race (which was actually a 5K). He helped inspire me to take up this lifelong habit.
Lugar policy chops were substantial. A former naval intelligence officer, he brought his enormous foreign policy and intel skills to the US Senate. He famously once said that if we knew what he knew, “it would keep you awake at night.”
But he was also a former chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and as a farmer (farm owner, more accurately), he understood the details and nuances of farm policy and politics like few could (talk about Byzantine policies and regulations). He even understood US dairy policy, which requires an IQ over 150.
Sen. Lugar ran for leadership positions in the Senate (unsuccessfully) and toyed with a presidential run. But as smart, wise, knowledgeable and skilled as he was, those efforts, sadly, were not successful. He had a habit of quietly, respectfully disagreeing with colleagues, and perhaps to his detriment, tried to school them.
What I probably take away more from the Senator, other than his impeccable integrity, honesty and humility, is the outstanding people he surrounded himself with, from people like Mitch Daniels, Marty Morris, Jeff Bergener, Lori Rowley, and Chuck Connor. Good senators know how to attract great staff.
RIP, Senator Lugar, and thank you.
Dachau -what’s left of the train tracks that brought prisoners
One of the guard towers – moat and barbed wire faced those trying to escape. One of the rebuilt barracks is in the background
The Small Crematorium
The large crematorium. The gas chamber was to the left in this picture
May the example of those who were exterminated here between 1933 – 1945 because they resisted Nazism help to unite the living for the defense of peace and freedom and in respect for their fellow men
It’s wealthy white people who tend to be the most “woke.” They see themselves as the “white savior” — as Atticus Finch. But as someone once said, if you’re going to be St. George, you first need a dragon.
Before we lived out here in the boonies, we didn’t really pay much attention to turkeys. They did not exist in Sausalito, although they would have been much preferred over tourists. They did, however, exist in many other areas of Marin. Except for realizing these funny miniature ostrich-style birds were actually adolescent turkeys, I didn’t pay much attention to them.
Viktor Frankl liked to quote Nietzsche, “He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.” Frankl believed that a great deal of the failings of people and societies was due to the loss of meaning in our lives. Something more important than us, that gave us a reason to continue to live the best life we could – a glorious, righteous struggle against long odds that gives one an easy answer to the eternal question, “Why am I here?”
But celebrities realize that they woke up one morning in a remarkably privileged position through little fault of their own. Were they really that much more talented than the other 500 people who auditioned for that part? When they got the role, who knew that the show would hit it big, and they’d go from $5,000 per episode to $1,000,000 per episode in two years? Have they really earned their money? How many people have they helped, to earn their millions? The light fixture guy goes to bed at night knowing that thousands of families are enjoying their safe, well-lit, affordable homes today because of his good work. The sitcom actress wonders, late at night, how much her work has really helped the world.
And then Chris Rock weighed in, and I think I understand now.