Time was, not long ago, political rivals were civil

  • David Broder / Washington Post Columnist
  • Saturday, January 28, 2006 9:00pm
  • Opinion

WASHINGTON – The stench of partisanship is so strong in Washington these days that it is difficult to remember that it was not always the case that Republicans and Democrats were at each other’s throats. But, in truth, there was a time when friendship and simple human compassion were far more powerful than any political differences.

A wonderful reminder of that fact can be found among the oral histories compiled by two dozen of Ronald Reagan’s main associates that are being released today by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia. The transcripts are available at www.millercenter.org.

One of the tapes was furnished by Max Friedersdorf, who ran the White House congressional liaison staff for Reagan. Friedersdorf recounts in the interview what happened while the president was recovering at George Washington University Hospital, after the unsuccessful assassination attempt outside the Washington Hilton Hotel on March 30, 1981.

Reagan was seriously wounded by John Hinckley, and the day after the shooting, Friedersdorf got a call in the White House from James Baker, Reagan’s chief of staff, who was at the hospital. “Get over here,” Baker commanded.

“I went over to GW Hospital and went up to the president’s room,” Friedersdorf said, “and Jim was outside the room with Mrs. Reagan and her Secret Service agent. Baker said, ‘I want you to stay here until I tell you to leave.’”

What had happened, Friedersdorf learned, was that Nancy Reagan “was all upset,” because Sen. Strom Thurmond had come over to the hospital a few hours earlier and somehow had talked his way through the lobby, up the elevator and into Reagan’s room, where he attempted to chat with the gravely wounded president.

“Mrs. Reagan was outraged, distraught,” Friedersdorf said. So Baker directed him to take up the watch, and “if any congressman or senator comes around here, make sure the Secret Service doesn’t let anybody up, even on this floor.”

Friedersdorf said he remained on duty during daylight hours for the next three or four days, and then word came from Baker that the president had recovered enough to start to see people.

The first person to be admitted, Friedersdorf said, was Thomas P. “Tip” O’Neill, the speaker of the House.

When the Massachusetts Democrat arrived, Nancy Reagan slipped out of the room and Friedersdorf retreated to a corner of the suite where he could remain unobtrusive. “Tip got down on his knees next to the bed, and said a prayer for the president, and he held his hand and kissed him and they said a prayer together … the 23rd Psalm.

“The speaker stayed there quite a while. They never talked too much. I just heard him say the prayer, then I heard him say, ‘God bless you, Mr. President, we’re all praying for you.’

“The Speaker was crying. The president still, I think was a little, he was obviously sedated, but I think he knew it was the speaker because he said, ‘I appreciate your coming down, Tip.’ He held his hand, sat there by the bed, and held his hand for a long (time).”

When I reached Friedersdorf last week at his retirement home in Florida, I asked him how it happened that Reagan’s first guest was the leading Democrat on Capitol Hill. “Well,” he said, “Tip was third in line of succession (after the vice president) and the fact he was a Democrat didn’t bother anybody. We didn’t even think about it. Tip had been calling constantly to see how the president was doing. And there was a bond there.

“I remember,” Friedersdorf continued, “the first dinner the Reagans had in the private residence was for Tip and his wife, and my wife and I were there. Tip and the president had a drink or two and started swapping Irish stories.

“Often, after that, Tip would say pretty harsh things about some of our legislative proposals, and the staff would want Reagan to answer him. But they trusted each other, and the president would say, ‘That’s just Tip,’ and let it go.”

I asked Friedersdorf if he could imagine that sort of relationship flourishing now between the Republican president and the top Democrats in Congress.

“Absolutely not,” he said. Sadly, I think he is right.

David Broder is a Washington Post columnist. Contact him by writing to davidbroder@washpost.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Opinion

FILE - In this Friday, Oct. 4, 2019, file photo, a man using an electronic cigarette exhales in Mayfield Heights, Ohio. On Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2019, the American Medical Association said it is calling for an immediate ban on all electronic cigarette and vaping devices. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File)
Editorial: Shut down flavored tobacco’s gateway to youths

Legislation in Olympia would bar the use of flavors and menthol in vape products and cigarettes.

toon
Editorial cartoons for Tuesday, Feb. 18

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Herald report of Everett protest inaccurate, biased

I was at the rally and protest in Everett last on Feb.… Continue reading

Media shouldn’t use ‘she’ for trans people

About 79 percent of Americans oppose those observed male at birth from… Continue reading

USAID freeze halts vital aid work

I am outraged the Trump administration is making the U.S. weaker in… Continue reading

Goldberg: Trump declares war on higher ed, not just woke parts

The move, aided by Elon Musk, to gut NIH funding, is part of a larger and debilitating attack on academia.

Comment: Trump’s Kennedy Center will narrow exposure to art

Trump’s move to takeover the Kennedy Center is not about the arts but about celebrating his tastes.

Rivian, based in Irvine, Calif., has introduced its new R2 models, smaller and more affordable SUVs. (Rivian)
Editorial: Open electric vehicle market to direct sales

Legislation would allow EV makers to sell directly to customers, making lease or purchase easier.

People walk adjacent to the border with Canada at the Peace Arch in Peace Arch Historical State Park, where cars behind wait to enter Canada at the border crossing Monday, Aug. 9, 2021, in Blaine, Wash. Canada lifted its prohibition on Americans crossing the border to shop, vacation or visit, but America kept similar restrictions in place, part of a bumpy return to normalcy from coronavirus travel bans. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Editorial: U.S. and Canada better neighbors than housemates

President Trump may be serious about annexing Canada, but it’s a deal fraught with complexities for all.

CNA Nina Prigodich, right, goes through restorative exercises with long term care patient Betty Long, 86, at Nightingale's View Ridge Care Center on Friday, Feb. 10, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Editorial: Boost state Medicaid funding for long-term care

With more in need of skilled nursing and assisted-living services, funding must keep up to retain staff.

toon
Editorial cartoons for Monday, Feb. 17

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Comment: No one saw Musk’s DOGE rampage coming or its threat

With no formal grant of authority, Musk is making cuts without fully understanding the consequences.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.