David Marshall
(12/2022) It took a while for the election results to confirm who controlled the legislative power within our federal government, but we were finally able to determine which party controls the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives. In both cases, the outcomes were not short of surprises. For some, it is a surprise the Democrats not only maintained control of the Senate, but have the potential to pick up one additional seat. As for the House, it was a surprise that the expected "red wave" never materialized.
We know that Nancy Pelosi will no longer be the Speaker of the House, but even with the call for generational change it was a surprise to some that Nancy Pelosi will not return as House Minority Leader. We also know that Kevin McCarthy’s long held desire to become the next House Speaker is close, but not guaranteed. Between the political surprises and predicted forecasts coming to pass, will the House of Representatives be an institution of order or chaos once the gavel changes from one party to the other?
After newly elected candidates take their oath of office and defeated incumbents end their terms, are we in a sense removing those who promote order and replacing them with those who promote chaos or vise versa? When those seeking higher levels of power finally achieve their political goal, will there be order or chaos?
The outcome of primary and general elections can have a lasting impact on the lawmaker, the voter and the way political power is achieved. One elected official once wrote, "This is a tragedy for the Senate and the loss is particularly felt by all of us who have been privileged to serve with Dick on the Foreign Relations Committee. It’s a blow to the institution during a period when the institution itself has been strained.
Whether he was serving as Chairman or Ranking Member of our Committee, wielding the gavel or working the floor, Dick’s approach to governing was always the same: he wanted to find serious answers to some of foreign policy’s most vexing questions. He’s a class act and a gentleman and in a Senate that has seen so much change and transition these last years, his expertise on complicated issues honed over 36 years simply can’t be replicated. I know, however, that Dick Lugar will finish out his sixth term in the Senate with the same determination and effectiveness that has marked every year of his service here, and he will have many more contributions still to an institution he reveres and that reveres him.
"Dick’s Nunn-Lugar efforts have become almost shorthand for bi-partisanship in foreign policy, and they should be recognized. But for me, on a personal level, two other efforts stand out as epitomizing who Dick is and why he’ll be missed. For me, it started with the work we did together in the 1980’s to help bring about free and fair elections in the Philippines. I was just a freshman senator, but I was lucky to get to know Dick Lugar as a dignified, thoughtful and capable public servant who even then was becoming an institution within this institution. He was serious, he was fair-minded, and I saw firsthand during our trip to the Philippines that he had a very personal and special understanding of what the United States means to the rest of the world.
That cause animated a Hoosier who was a reserved and humble public person, but who proudly recounted for President Reagan the difference the United States made in giving voice to the Filipino peoples’ democratic aspirations. I saw that same commitment in Dick Lugar many times over the years but never more so than in the long, tough, and patient process required when we worked together on the New START Treaty two years ago. His wisdom and his patience was invaluable in laying out the case and particularly in building Republican support and finding the path to those 71 votes.
"It will soon almost sound clichéd to say that America is safer today because of Dick Lugar’s 36 years of service in the Senate, but it really does bear repeating. His record on our Committee will long be remembered in the same context as another chairman, William Fulbright of Arkansas, whose Senate service also ended in a difficult primary defeat, but who is remembered today not for one loss, but for a legacy of following the facts and speaking the truth despite the political risks. This is a tough period in American politics, but I’d like to think that we’ll again see a United States Senate where Dick Lugar’s brand of thoughtful, mature, and bi-partisan work is respected and rewarded. That kind of seriousness of purpose should never go out of fashion."
Those words were written in 2012 by a sitting U.S. Senator immediately after one of his respected Senate colleagues lost his bid for reelection. With the support of the Tea Party movement, Indiana state treasurer, Richard Mourdock defeated six-term incumbent Senator Richard Lugar in the 2012 Republican primary. Richard Lugar was a statesman in the true sense, and his willingness to embrace bi-partisanship made him a target which goes far beyond policy.
The tribute to Lugar was not written by a fellow Republican, but rather by Democrat Senator John Kerry. Bi-partisanship when done in the best interest of the nation is often not the goal for many of today’s lawmakers and voters. The pursuit and obtaining power is their ultimate goal.
There are reasons why former Senator John McCain eventually was the target of anger by members of his own party despite his lifetime 81% conservative voting score. McCain was a true patriot who lived up to his principles and values while becoming one of the leading Republican antagonist of the Trump presidency.
Republican voters, due to tribal politics, also turned their anger against Representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger. Scripture tells us that the love of money is the root of all evil. Not money itself, but the love and pursuit of money. The same can be said with power. The love and pursuit of power is another root cause of evil. In this case, political evil. January 6 occurred because of an out- of- control pursuit of power. The conspiracy theories behind the "Big Lie" are constantly pushed for the same reason. The surprises behind the House and Senate results came down to people actually playing attention.
Voters from both parties saw the events of January 6 with their own eyes, and they paid attention during the House committee hearings. While voters are concerned with issues such as inflation and crime, the attack on Democracy was seen as the greater threat. During this year’s election, many Republicans voted for Democrats for the very first time.
And while many of today’s younger voters may not know former Senators McCain, Lugar and Kerry, they accept having order over chaos. They understand having a sense of normalcy. Decency, character, true public service and normalcy were all on the ballot during the midterm elections, and in many races they overcame the candidates’ unhealthy pursuit for power. As a result, Democracy was this year’s biggest winner.
David W. Marshall is author of the book "God Bless Our Divided America" and member of Country First. Country First is focused on recognizing that Republicans, Democrats or Independents don’t have to be enemies just because they have different experiences and perspectives. To learn more about Country First visit www.country1st.com
