Nation: The Leader: Everett Dirkson

• Share

(2 of 9)

The Outpouring. Testimonials to the quality of Dirksen's leadership come from both sides of the Senate aisle and from nearly all factions within both par ties. Just recently, Connecticut's middle-roading Republican Senator Prescott Bush, who voted against Dirksen for minority leader four years ago, stood up to speak to the Senate. Bush is retiring from the Senate after this year, and he wanted to pay tribute to Dirksen. "He is," said Bush, "one of the very few men in the Senate who actually make votes when they speak on an important issue...

When grave national issues are involved, Everett Dirksen is not a partisan." In a flood of oratory, Republican after Republican rose to toss bouquets toward Dirksen. Vermont's George Aiken praised his fairness and courage. California's Thomas Kuchel his unselfishness and erudition.

Kentucky's John Sherman Cooper his patriotism, Texas' John Tower his warmth, good humor, good counsel and advice.

It is not, after all, unprecedented for Republicans to praise a key Republican.

But then Democrats — and in an election year at that — followed with an outpouring that climaxed when Majority Leader Mike Mansfield, in terms of glowing rhetoric, managed to out-Dirksen Dirksen. If, said Mansfield, he were only possessed of Dirksen's "wit and wisdom," "humor and poetry," "scholarly erudition and home spun simplicity," then would he "unleash them in orchestrated expression of the great affection, respect, admiration and esteem in which I hold the distinguished minority leader. I would weave with words a magic spell over the Senate as he has done so many times. With words, I would lift the eyes of the Senators to the mountain peaks and the stars beyond, or I would lead them gently down a rustic road in Illinois. With words, I would lay bare the heart of a flower or pry open the fiery core of the atom that the Senate might appreciate the depth and breadth of the Senator from Illinois." Ev might have wished he'd said that.

Unforfeited Faith. The leadership record that tapped that gusher is, by every account, in the finest tradition of the loyal opposition under the two-party system.