Senate Journal: Page 844: Wednesday, April 9, 2003
In 1970, on one occasion—on the occasion actually of our daughters’ birthday—we
brought them to the floor for a look-see. One of them grabbed the microphone and
began gabbing away, prompting the Speaker of the House Bill Harbor, at that point, to
comment that they clearly were their father’s daughters.
Suzanne and I developed many lasting friendships from our six years here, and we
gained some valuable life lessons as well. I gained a lot of insight into the geniuses of
personal beliefs and personal feelings from guys like Senator George Milligan on the
abortion issues. George and I came at it from very different sides, but both of us, in
talking about it, learned that our beliefs were deeply rooted in our own personal faith.
I learned about the deep-seated integrity of legislators who put their jobs here
ahead of their personal businesses, their own personal wealth—most vividly taught to
me by two guys in the Senate, Gene Kennedy and Chuck Laferty.
I learned to argue with Cal Hultman in committee during the day, and at night
spend a lot of time playing bridge without any sign of the clash that took place just
hours before.
I watched Bill Gannon and Grumpy Fisher sit across the aisle from each other and
fight like two mad cats, yet wink when it was over like they were family.
I watched Dewey Good, who sat over here and was a throwback from the turn of the
century—as street smart and savvy a legislator as there was—change minds in the
heat of a debate with fewer words than anyone in the chamber.
I learned also what it meant to really be in the minority. As I recall, our 100 plus
House members had only 24 of us who were Democrats, and we were so few that one
particular day the House passed three bills while we were in caucus before they
realized we were gone. Bill Harbor ruled that it was in order, and Bill Kendrick, the
Clerk of the House, found a rule somewhere that backed him up.
Back in those days, neither chamber was air-conditioned and tools like funnels
hadn’t been invented yet. So sessions would last well into June. And things would get
rather heated, both figuratively and literally. Well, the Senate had a coat rule.
Members were required to wear a coat whenever the Senate was in session. I was
never one to really follow rules and wasn’t really good at doing what I was told. So one
particular day, with the help of some misguided and almost unemployed pages, I made
my own coat out of a copy of The Des Moines Register. Art Neu was Lieutenant
Governor and was sitting in the chair when I walked in. I’d never seen him get so
angry so quick. The coat disappeared, never to be seen again. The only comment I
heard afterwards was from someone to the effect that it was the preferred use for that
paper. I don’t believe that anymore, if anybody’s listening.
Those years came and went all too fast in the midst of rather extensive change of
the state. They were learning years for me. They contributed greatly to my ability to
find gainful employment in the years ahead, and to a great degree, those years helped
me become the person that I am today, good or bad. And for that I am personally,
extremely grateful. Politics is an honorable profession, an honorable calling, and let no
one tell you anything different. It’s filled with honorable people, men and women who
clearly are not in it for the money, but who truly wish to make Iowa an ever better
© 2003 Cornell College and
League of Women Voters of Iowa
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