Obama: Kennedy's spirit can help bridge partisan divide
Obama: Kennedy's spirit can help bridge partisan divide,President Obama called for a return to compromise and collegiality in politics Monday as he dedicated the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate and lauded the senator it's named for.
"Ted understood the only point of running for office is getting something done. Not to posture. Not to sit there worried about the next election, or the polls," Obama said. "Ted grieved the loss of camaraderie and collegiality, the face-to-face interaction. I think he regretted the arguments made to cameras instead of colleagues, directed at a narrow base instead of the body politic as a whole."
Obama spoke at the opening of a $78 million center that will teach students and others about the Senate through interactive exhibits and role play. He called for those in public life to "set an example for the kids who enter these doors and exit with higher expectations for this country."
On a cold Boston day with snowflakes swirling after a winter of record snowfall, the dedication was as much a paean to a bygone era of bipartisan legislating as a tribute to Kennedy himself."Since this is a joyous occasion, this is not the time for me to propose a slew of new ideas for reform, although I do have some," Obama said. "Maybe I'll just mention one: What if we all carried ourselves more like Ted Kennedy?"
Attending the dedication were members of the Kennedy family, current and former senators from both parties, and, Obama joked, "pretty much every elected official in Massachusetts."
"There are Republicans here today for a reason," Obama said. "They know who Ted Kennedy was. It's not because they shared Ted's ideology or his positions, but they knew Ted was someone who bridged the partisan divide over and over and over again."
One of those Republicans was former Senate majority leader Trent Lott, who sits on the institute's board. .
"Yes, a Republican from Mississippi is proud to be here today," Lott said. "Oh yes, we disagreed. We had some fiery discussions. He knew how to give and take and get a result."
Lott told the story of how he worked with Kennedy to renew the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. There were a lot of those stories: Sen. Elizabeth Warren spoke about how Kennedy championed bankruptcy reform and encouraged her to become more politically active. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker talked about how he helped get a greenway built. And Vice President Biden talked about how Kennedy worked toward universal health care.
"He understood that consensus was arrived at from the cumulative effect, I emphasize the cumulative effect, of personal relationships," Biden said. "Forgive me for saying this in the city of Tip O'Neill, but I think he was wrong that all politics is local. All politics is personal. And no one understood that more than Ted Kennedy."
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said Kennedy's death in 2009 was not the only factor that led to a more partisan Congress — but it was certainly a factor.
"I have no doubt that the place would be a little more productive and a lot more fun if Ted were there," said "I missed fighting with him, to be honest. It's getting harder to find people who enjoyed a good fight as much as Ted did, to be honest. No, the place hasn't been the same without him."After the dedication, Obama toured the institute and made an appearance on the floor of the Senate chamber — a full-sized replica of the real thing. Afterward, Biden presided over a mock Senate that included at least 17 current and former senators.
The institute's mission is to educate people about the United States Senate, an institution known as the world's greatest deliberative body but which is often accused of being undemocratic, slow and obstructionist.
Kennedy envisioned the institute as a place where high school students and others would learn not just about the issues but about how and why the Senate works the way it does, though debate and consensus. The institute will immerse visitors in the experience of being a senator — from the ceremonial swearing-in to floor debates to getting a bill passed.
Congress earmarked a total of $38 million toward the institute, which sits on the University of Massachusetts campus, next to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in the Boston neighborhood of Dorchester.
"Ted understood the only point of running for office is getting something done. Not to posture. Not to sit there worried about the next election, or the polls," Obama said. "Ted grieved the loss of camaraderie and collegiality, the face-to-face interaction. I think he regretted the arguments made to cameras instead of colleagues, directed at a narrow base instead of the body politic as a whole."
Obama spoke at the opening of a $78 million center that will teach students and others about the Senate through interactive exhibits and role play. He called for those in public life to "set an example for the kids who enter these doors and exit with higher expectations for this country."
On a cold Boston day with snowflakes swirling after a winter of record snowfall, the dedication was as much a paean to a bygone era of bipartisan legislating as a tribute to Kennedy himself."Since this is a joyous occasion, this is not the time for me to propose a slew of new ideas for reform, although I do have some," Obama said. "Maybe I'll just mention one: What if we all carried ourselves more like Ted Kennedy?"
Attending the dedication were members of the Kennedy family, current and former senators from both parties, and, Obama joked, "pretty much every elected official in Massachusetts."
"There are Republicans here today for a reason," Obama said. "They know who Ted Kennedy was. It's not because they shared Ted's ideology or his positions, but they knew Ted was someone who bridged the partisan divide over and over and over again."
One of those Republicans was former Senate majority leader Trent Lott, who sits on the institute's board. .
"Yes, a Republican from Mississippi is proud to be here today," Lott said. "Oh yes, we disagreed. We had some fiery discussions. He knew how to give and take and get a result."
Lott told the story of how he worked with Kennedy to renew the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. There were a lot of those stories: Sen. Elizabeth Warren spoke about how Kennedy championed bankruptcy reform and encouraged her to become more politically active. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker talked about how he helped get a greenway built. And Vice President Biden talked about how Kennedy worked toward universal health care.
"He understood that consensus was arrived at from the cumulative effect, I emphasize the cumulative effect, of personal relationships," Biden said. "Forgive me for saying this in the city of Tip O'Neill, but I think he was wrong that all politics is local. All politics is personal. And no one understood that more than Ted Kennedy."
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said Kennedy's death in 2009 was not the only factor that led to a more partisan Congress — but it was certainly a factor.
"I have no doubt that the place would be a little more productive and a lot more fun if Ted were there," said "I missed fighting with him, to be honest. It's getting harder to find people who enjoyed a good fight as much as Ted did, to be honest. No, the place hasn't been the same without him."After the dedication, Obama toured the institute and made an appearance on the floor of the Senate chamber — a full-sized replica of the real thing. Afterward, Biden presided over a mock Senate that included at least 17 current and former senators.
The institute's mission is to educate people about the United States Senate, an institution known as the world's greatest deliberative body but which is often accused of being undemocratic, slow and obstructionist.
Kennedy envisioned the institute as a place where high school students and others would learn not just about the issues but about how and why the Senate works the way it does, though debate and consensus. The institute will immerse visitors in the experience of being a senator — from the ceremonial swearing-in to floor debates to getting a bill passed.
Congress earmarked a total of $38 million toward the institute, which sits on the University of Massachusetts campus, next to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in the Boston neighborhood of Dorchester.
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