Senator Tim Johnson made his farewell speech on the floor of the Senate this morning. CSPAN webcasts Senator Johnson's speech, along with (starting at 13:55) Senator John Thune's subsequent tribute.
Offering what he says has become a hallmark of Senate farewell speeches, Senator Johnson laments the decline of bipartisanship in Washington:
My job as I understood it would be to work in a bipartisan matter, listening to all parties, and reaching a good fit, also known as a compromise. That is what I still believe. However, in each year of my 28 years of service, this has become more diffcult to achieve. Each party, rather than working cooperatively for the American people, is more and more focused on winning the next election. Today, days after the 2014 election, you can walk into the call center for either party and find members dialing for dollars for 2016. Tonight there will be fundraisers across DC where members will discuss policy not with their constiutents but with organizations that contribute to their campaigns. Mr. President, we have lost our way [Senator Tim Johnson, Senate farewell address, 2014.12.11].
Senator Johnson says we will not find our solutions on the left or the right but in the middle. Hmm... so maybe he'll come home and help Larry Pressler form that foundation to promote "centrist, independent, moderate" thinking in politics?
Sen. Johnson: For all of your years of service to not only the citizens of South Dakota,but to the citizens of the USA...I thank you Sir.
Senator Johnson is a class act, thank you sir for your years of service.
Ah, Timmy, we hardly knew ye.
Wishing him all the best. He's earned his place in the sun.
His long journey back to reasonably good health has been nothing short of heroic. And kudos to all who stayed with him and helped him on that road.
You are champions all.
Ironically after years of supporting a balanced budget amendment, Senator Johnson's recreant votes in '94 and '95 against such an amendment helped doom the very bipartisan effort that he now laments is lacking in the Senate.
Is Don Haggar still alive or did the coyotes eat him?
Johnson's legacy includes voting for repeal of the Glass-Steagall laws. That paved the way for the mixing of brokerage and banking and then to the near total collapse of the economy near the end of Bush,Jr administration. He and the rest of us were warned about consequences. Johnson forgot he represented all South Dakotans ..rather than joining in on bipartisan support for big banks, big insurance, etc.
He did provide much help for SD economy and his state offices were often helpful and useful.
Johnson could also have done more to present thoughtful information on Democratic Party positions rather than often racing to right at the first sight of controversy. The current wretched condition of the SD Democratic Party is a consequence of Johnson's, S. Herseth, and Daschle all playing to rightwing rather than developing an effective loyal moderate left force in South Dakota.
He deserves our respect for his working past diversity into a few more years service. At least he was one more vote preventing the toxic GOP programs and retrograde obstruction from being even worse.
I was an early supporter, going to a fundraising meet and greet in Pierre as his first campaign for Congress was getting under way. He was a good politician. The one mistake he made was not taking out Pressler six years earlier.
As with every SD politician who starts out reasonably progressive, he turned too much to "compromise" and "bi-partisanship." So, some of his votes disappointed, and his idea of compromise/bi-partisanship turned into "buy me off." No, he wasn't corrupt, but he knew the asses to kiss and votes to make that would get him appropriations for SD projects or the money he'd need to win elections.
I guess in his mind voting to repeal Glass-Steagall was just the price to pay for keeping Citibank money away from his opponents. Unfortunately, America's everday working stiffs paid a high price for that political vote. Johnson paid no price for it. Bipartisan cooperation got us a near depression. Johnson got re-elected.
So, yeah, Johnson was a good guy, wasn't corrupt, worked hard. He was fine on most issues. He just fell in love with some idealized version of the institution.
Mr. Pay, I think you have a pretty good story there about your back in the day with Mr. Johnson. And back then, sir, if I may say, you were a fine looking young fellow yourself, especially in that one shirt.
Grudznick's febrile instability wears thin quickly.
John Thune you can retire to ,Would love to hear your speech, FOLLOW tI A BETTER CLASS ACT THEN YOU.
Grudz: I was never "a fine looking young fellow." That's how I know you are full of b.s.