Wanted: Profiles in Courage
In 1957, Senator John F. Kennedy was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Biography for his book Profiles in Courage. The book tells the story of eight US Senators who, according to Kennedy, had exhibited great political courage in standing up to the political pressures of the day.
Check out one of President Kennedy's moments of courage as broken down by Lawrence O'Donnell.
Starting with John Quincy Adams in 1803 and concluding in 1946 with Ohio Senator Robert Taft, Kennedy wrote a terrific book on the courage to do the right thing in spite of Presidential, party and constituent pressures.
I recently reread Kennedy’s book. I thought about acts of courage, political and legislative, that I have witnessed in my lifetime.
In 1985, six Republican Senators – Hatfield of Oregon, Weicker of Connecticut, Stafford of Vermont, Chaffee of Rhode Island, Andrews of North Dakota and Mathias of Maryland – broke ranks with the Reagan White House, and the rest of their Republican peers, to save dozens of domestic programs, including CSBG.
I’ve seen many other instances of “profiles in courage.” Many times these are heroic, and lonely, legislative battles that seem to arise unexpectedly, but all have had a remarkable impact on the tenor, if not the outcome of the current legislative debate.
Today’s Washington is the most partisan, polarized city I have seen in my lifetime. Donald Trump promised, if elected, to shake up Washington. He has. In doing so, he has not only jolted the Congress and the federal bureaucracy, but he has also shaken the country in profound and long-lasting ways.
The ideological gap in Congress is now wider than at anytime since the Civil War. Although the results of many of President Trump’s actions are chaotic, the policies themselves reflect a president determined to fulfill his campaign promises.
In two short weeks President Trump’s anti-Washington agenda has freed the Republican Party’s establishment to begin the painful and difficult process of determining two crucial points: what are Republican values, and thusly – who is the Republican Party?
The Democratic Party also has a difficult road ahead. It’s all too clear that key Democrats in Congress cannot get over the result of the 2016 elections. And, in continuing to focus on past mistakes, they are not quite ready to be an effective, forward-looking, loyal opposition party.
We are so early into Donald Trump’s presidency and the 115th Congress, and yet, I fear we are already at a political and legislative crossroads. Members face two paths. One, the easy one, continues or even exacerbates the political gridlock that exists today. The other road, the hard and lonely choice, will require members to demonstrate their own profile in courage.
For Republicans it may mean opposing extreme policies put forth by either a Republican president, policies put forward by extreme factions within their caucus or dangerous actions advocated by the most vocal elements of their political base.
For Democrats, a profile in courage will require a willingness to reach across the political aisle and work tirelessly to create bi-partisan legislative solutions to address so many of our nation’s needs.
These are difficult times for our political institutions as well as for our country. It is not the first time the country has faced such a difficult test. Let’s hope there still exists the will in Congress to compromise, to moderate and to legislate. And more importantly, let’s hope that profiles in courage are in ample supply. The times demand no less.
“A man does what he must – in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers, and pressures – and that is the basis of all human morality.”
