BY MICHAEL S. JOHNSON | DEC 24
Bob Michel was greeted with a hearty round of applause when he was introduced as the special guest at the RAMS club Christmas lunch in Washington December 17.
One woman, among the room full of current and former congressional chiefs of staff, rose from her seat to give Michel a standing ovation.
As he went on with his introduction, Paul Vinovich, the RAMS Head, reminded the audience that it was also the 70th anniversary of what was the greatest battle of World War II, the Battle of the Bulge. Seventy years ago today, he said, Michel was fighting his way from Normandy Beach across France and Belgium to the bulge in the American line where Adolf Hitler was making his last stand. An estimated 70,000 American soldiers died in that battle. Michel was badly wounded.
There was more applause, maybe from those who suddenly realized they were sitting in the presence of a genuine war hero. Maybe, too, from those who remembered that after his military service, Michel became the longest serving House Minority Leader in history. He was one of the masterminds and legislative mechanics behind the success of the Reagan agenda, and a leader who, once ridiculed for it, gave American government a precious gift: a political environment in which decisions could be made, in which politicians could disagree without being disagreeable, and Americans had reason to believe in their institutions of government.
Then everyone in the room rose to their feet, including the vindicated woman. Michel pulled himself to his feet, balancing on a walking cane he detests having to use, and acknowledged the ovation with a smile and a wave.
Bob Michel is 92, an icon of a bygone era to which, I suspect, more and more of the citizenry would like to return.
We can’t have that era back, of course, nor would we want it. History has so much greater clarity than the making of it, and our longing for “the good ole’ days” is always absent those events and circumstances that remind us that what is past may be prologue, but it still belongs in the past.
The Reagan- H.W.Bush periods in our history were a unique American experience. But when we moved on from it, as the cliché goes, we threw the baby out with the bathwater. The best lessons of the era were either never learned or ultimately lost in the thick fog of shortsightedness.
Governance succeeded for the most part then, because our politics and our behavior was more disciplined. Our relationships were more civil and the lines one didn’t cross were clear, not badly smudged or smeared by their constant violation. Institutions of governance were more insulated from the destructive forces of excessive power, ideological rigidity. There was less of that angry, hurtful public scorn that comes so easily when there are so few inhibitors on what you can say about people or what you can do to them.
The purpose of government was in clearer focus, thanks in good measure to leaders such as Reagan, Michel and Howard Baker, Mike Mansfield, Tom Foley, Lee Hamilton and others. They understood well that no matter what you wanted from government, whether you wanted more of it or less of it; whether you wanted to build it up or tear it down, you had to legislate to do it.
And, to legislate in the likeness of a pluralistic, multi-generational, multi-cultural, economically and spiritually diverse society, you had to maintain civil discourse, collaborate and, yes, compromise. Negotiating in good faith, regular order, simple fairness, the integrity of facts and information, inclusiveness, basic civility and the exercise of personal character were the ingredients of ultimate legislative accomplishment.
I’d like to think that RAMS (it stands for Republicans Associated for Mutual Support) members gave Michel a standing ovation because he is deserving on so many levels, personal and political.
The legacy of his leadership deserves the recognition it never got when he left Congress in 1994. Spilled milk.
More importantly, though, it is a good framework for the New Year’s resolutions of all those exercising power in the next Congress, or in the White House, or in governor’s mansions or state legislatures, or city councils across America. Many thought Michel was behind the times in 1994, but as it has turned out, his time has come and gone and come again.
Seldom have we been in such urgent need for what defined Michel as a leader.
He exercised the courage of his convictions, but he never assumed he had all the answers, nor did he respond with righteous indignation when challenged.
He understood the distinction between political principles and public policy.
He respected the views of others and always looked for the validity of their arguments.
He never let it become personal.
He practiced incredible humility.
He reserved judgment until he was comfortable that the knowledge he had was sufficient to provide the best judgment he could exercise.
He knew how to listen and considered it the most important element of communication.
When the time came to make decisions, he made them and stood by them.
He understood the distinction between strategy and tactics.
He delegated authority wisely and was never consumed by power.
He believed a leader was first a servant.
He never cared who got the credit for what was accomplished, and was less than tolerant of those who thought credit was an outcome.
Although he seldom forgot a transgression, he did not hold grudges.
He made sure of his facts. He sought, untainted, balanced information and appreciated those around him who were well informed.
He was a meticulous and accurate vote counter. He could look a member in the eye and know when yes meant maybe or maybe meant no.
He negotiated in good faith and believed religiously that your word was your bond. He believed the foundation of our system of government was trust.
He had enormous respect for the institution in which he served and he loved his country, above all except his God, his family and friends.
He was extremely loyal.
He was a powerful advocate of free enterprise and individual initiative, but believed government had a legitimate role in helping people do what they could not do for themselves. His work ethic drove that belief structure.
He hated prejudice.
He had other little behavioral traits that served him well:
When he didn’t want to be quoted he wouldn’t finish his sentences. He believed that patience, tolerance and anger management did not apply on the golf course. He did not conduct business at evening events. He believed their purpose was to facilitate dozing. He rarely swore so he created his own dictionary of expletives: Shinny. Burns my Keister. Crap. Piss ant. Gol Dang. Golly. Hells Bells. Judas Priest. Maggie Bar the Door (not sure what he had against Katie).
Bob Michel led the House with distinction. He served his country with courage. He has led his life with dignity. He’s a Christmas gift. His simple goodness, the values he has embraced over a lifetime are a bright lantern for wayward political souls. They got him to the envious place, acknowledging a standing ovation at a Christmas party 20 long years after retirement from public service, and in true humility, wondering what the fuss was all about.
Editor’s Note: Mike Johnson is a former journalist, who worked on the Ford White House staff and served as press secretary and chief of staff to House Republican Leader Bob Michel, prior to entering the private sector. He is co-author of a book, Surviving Congress, a guide for congressional staff. He is currently a principal with the OB-C Group.