Cornell Clayton: “The Towering Man from Spokane”

Tom Foley would have turned 90 today. What he would have thought about last week’s hearings in the House Oversight Committee? Donald Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, called the president a racist, a con man and a cheat, and acknowledged he had been directed to pay off a porn star during the 2016 election. Then things got even nastier as members of the committee competed to insult one another. The pettiness of discourse was captured by a large photograph Republicans displayed of Cohen with the words “Liar, liar, pants on fire!”

No one seemed fazed. No one said “Have you no decency?” Not to Cohen, the president, or misbehaving members of Congress. Foley, who cherished Congress, surely would have agreed with committee Chairman Elijah Cummings, who gaveled the meeting closed saying “we are better than this. We really are. As a country, we are so much better than this.”

“Politics ain’t beanbag,” to quote Mr. Dooley. But when did lying, hypocrisy, name-calling and pettiness become accepted behavior for elected officials? When did we abandon all pretenses of dignified, civil behavior? When did voters start caring only that their side “wins” and not that their leaders behave honorably?

Maybe this is who we are. But we can probably agree that it’s not who we want to be. Which brings me back to Foley.

The former speaker of the House devoted his life to public service, starting in the state attorney general’s office, as a staffer to Sen. Henry “Scoop” Jackson, and then for 30 years representing Washington’s 5th Congressional District in the House, followed by service as ambassador to Japan and chair of the Trilateral Commission.

It’s impossible to list all that Foley accomplished while serving the people of Eastern Washington. A master at bipartisan cooperation, he passed legislation for family medical leave, AmeriCorps and food stamp programs, as well as other programs reducing hunger and protecting the elderly. He brought millions of research dollars to the region’s universities, leading to the development of new crops, healthier farming techniques and a burgeoning wine industry in our state. Foley obtained funding to build crucial highways and infrastructure across Eastern Washington, and was a driving force behind many Spokane landmarks such as Riverfront Park and the University District.

Foley’s successes stemmed from a tireless work ethic, but also from his basic decency. He treated others, including opponents, with respect. Members of the opposing party were worthy adversaries in the common cause of democratic self-governance, not enemies to be destroyed. During memorial services in 2013, Foley was eulogized by many dignitaries, including two Democratic presidents, but the most moving tribute came from Bob Michel (R-Ill.), the Republican minority leader while Foley was speaker. Michel recounted how the two “jousted politically,” disagreeing over major issues like the war in Iraq, “but underlying everything was the faith and trust we had in each other … he never once showed disrespect to me or my colleagues.” As tears streamed down his face, Michel called Foley his lifelong friend, who “embodied the very spirit of what Congress should be.”

That such relationships could exist in Congress today!

Foley was a warm, affable man. But the dignity with which he treated his office was no accident of temperament. It grew from his belief in the nobility of government service itself. He believed Congress could do good, that public service was a privilege, and honoring your office required respecting others, including those with whom you disagreed.

Today politicians regularly vilify opponents and denigrate public service. Government workers are derided as lazy or incompetent, members of the other party called crooked or corrupt. Many see government as the problem rather than part of the solution to challenges we confront. Unfortunately, this becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

There has always been a healthy suspicion of government and centralized power in America, but today’s faux populism and shrill anti-government rhetoric is reckless. Not all problems today can be solved by government, but many – from health care to climate change – can’t be addressed without it. Cynically disparaging government drains public service of the honor it should instill. It discourages good people from seeking office, permits odious behaviors by those in office, and leads young people to distrust our democratic institutions and capacity to solve problems requiring collective action.

If we wish to be “better than this,” it starts by restoring honor in public service. That can only begin when voters tell elected representatives to respect their offices. Behave with honesty, integrity and decency, or expect to no longer have the privilege of serving us, regardless of your policies or party.

On his final day as speaker of the House, Tom Foley spoke of driving to work and glimpsing the Capitol building. He said “it ought to give anyone a thrill. A sense not only of personal satisfaction, but of very deep gratitude for the honor of letting us represent them.” After 30 years, he never lost that sense of wonder that public service should instill.

That is Tom Foley’s legacy. It’s why President Obama called him “the Towering Man from Spokane.” It’s a legacy Spokane can take pride in, and one the Foley Institute will celebrate this fall with recognition events honoring his 90th birthday.

Cornell W. Clayton is the Thomas S. Foley Distinguished Professor of Government and director of the Thomas S. Foley Institute for Public Policy and Public Service at Washington State University.