Login
|
Subscribe
Search only accepts letters and numbers.
Thursday, May 19, 2022
Home
News
Coronavirus Coverage
State & National Coverage
CDC Coronavirus Microsite
Columns
Brian Howey
Cameron Carter
Linda Chezem
Joshua Claybourn
Jack Colwell
Larry DeBoer
Craig Dunn
Trevor Foughty
Shaw Friedman
Christina Hale
Lee Hamilton
Kelly Hawes
Maureen Hayden
Michael Hicks
Rich James
Terri Jett
David Kitchell
Robert Kraft
Anne Laker
Erin Macey
Morton Marcus
Jay Ruckelshaus
Chris Sautter
Mark Schoeff Jr.
Pete Seat
Curt Smith
Russ Stilwell
Mark Souder
Tony Samuel
Renee Wilmeth
Downloads
HPI Daily Wire
HPI Weekly PDF's
HPI Polling
HPI Poll April 23, 2013
Howey/DePauw Poll November 2, 2012
Howey-Gauge Poll October 28, 2008
Howey/DePauw Poll September 27, 2012
Howey/DePauw Poll May 4, 2012
Howey/DePauw Poll April 5, 2012
Howey-Gauge Poll September 4, 2008
Howey-Gauge Poll April 29, 2008
Member's Archives
2014 Archives - PDF's
2013 Archives - PDF'S
2012 Archives - PDF's
2011 Archives - PDF's
2010 Archives - PDF's
2009 Archives - PDF's
2008 Archives - PDF's
2007 Archives - PDF's
2006 Archives - PDF's
2005 Archives - PDF's
2004 Archives - PDF's
2003 Archives - PDF's
2002 Archives - PDF's
2001 Archives - PDF's
2000 Archives - PDF's
HPI Videos
About
Contact
Subscribe
Lugar's stand put U.S. on the right side of Mandela, history
Wednesday, December 11, 2013 10:45 AM
South African President Nelson Mandela at the U.S. Capitol (top) and Sen. Lugar with President Reagan.
By MARTY MORRIS
MARK HELMKE
and ANDY FISHER
WASHINGTON - The world has been blessed with an extended opportunity to celebrate the remarkable life of Nelson Mandela and the country he changed as political prisoner and president.
It is hard to believe today, but 27 years ago, the U.S. could have ended up on the wrong side of history had Sen. Dick Lugar not led Republicans - against tremendous pressure from short-sighted conservatives within the Reagan White House – to override President Reagan’s veto of South Africa sanctions.
In 1985, the world was coalescing against the hardline government of South Africa and its practice of apartheid, a racial segregation of the country that gave the 10% white minority control of the country, denying rights to 85 percent of the population.
The Reagan Administration opposed economic sanctions against South Africa. White House Chief of Staff Donald Regan told The Baltimore Sun that divestiture in South Africa would deprive Americans of many raw materials, including diamonds, adding: "Are the women of America prepared to give up all their jewelry?"
Lugar knew the administration was on the wrong course. As the Senator who supported President Reagan on the most votes during the eight-year presidency, Lugar considered opposing the President with a heavy heart. He did so after exhausting every attempt to bring the administration along. Lugar even pulled the bill from Senate consideration in 1985 much to the chagrin of Democrats.
But the administration remained intransigent. By 1986, action could no longer be delayed. Lugar lead a lengthy Senate-House conference committee broadcasted on C-SPAN for all the world to see. Differences were worked out and a consensus held in the face of a presidential veto and intense political pressure from all sides.
On the Senate floor Lugar said, “We are against tyranny. And Tyranny is in South Africa. Tragically our influence may be so limited that the government of South Africa will pursue headlong a course bound to lead to destruction of that government. We are not destroying that government. That government is self-destructing. At this point, as a friend of that government, we are saying, ‘Wake up.’”
The Lugar consensus was overwhelming. The Senate rejected the Reagan veto by a vote of 78-21 and the House did so by a vote of 313-83.
Even though Lugar was Reagan’s top supporter in the Senate, White House officials were not happy. Back at the campaign office in Indiana, some of Lugar’s top donors phoned to withdraw their support, suggesting he was finished in politics. But in fact, two years later he won reelection by record margins and remained in office for another 26 years after his anti-apartheid stance, maintaining the longest run of popular political success in the state’s history.
The anti-apartheid stance that prevailed in Congress, in unity with the rest of world, led to Nelson Mandela being released from prison four years later and elected president just four years after that in 1994.
On a visit to the U.S. Capitol after becoming president, Mandela told Lugar in a private meeting that “there would not be a relationship” between our two countries had Lugar not succeeded in leading the override of the Reagan veto. The U.S. now has an ally in South Africa and influence throughout the emerging economies of Africa.
As he did many other times during his career, Lugar was able to calculate the future and build a winning consensus.
Both Mandela and Lugar succeeded by seeing brighter futures and being determined to succeed with calculated patience, understanding of human nature and a sense of political grace. Mandela laid his life on the line and endured 27 painful years in prison. Lugar risked his political career. Neither backed off from doing the right thing.
The world, in these impatient times, has much to learn from leaders like Lugar and Mandela. Democracy and republican governance counts on individuals like them. Such leadership legacy leaves our world in a better place.
In 1986, Morris was Lugar’s campaign manager, Helmke his press secretary, and Fisher his executive assistant.
Submit A Comment
Please fill out the form below to submit a comment.
*
indicates a required field
Comment
*
Your Name
Email
Phone
A comment must be approved by our staff before it will displayed on the website.
Submit
X
2020 election deniers are poised for GOP gov nominations
"The leading GOPers for governor in PA (Mastriano), AZ (Lake), MI (Craig) & WI (Kleefisch) have either directly called for overturning the 2020 election in their states or refused to say they would have certified. They’d each be tasked with certifying 2024 election."
- NBC correspondent V
aughn Hillyard
, tweeting on the Pennsylvania Republican gubernatorial nominee
State Sen. Doug Mastriano
, who became is the first full-on 2020 election denier/potential 2024 election overturner to win the GOP nomination in a key swing state. Mastriano won 40% of the vote after spending just $1.6 million, but he had the endorsement of
Donald Trump.
HPI Video Feed
Tweets by @hwypol
The HPI Breaking News App
is now available for iOS & Android!
Home
|
Login
|
Subscribe
|
About
|
Contact
© 2022 Howey Politics, All Rights Reserved • Software © 1998 - 2022
1up!
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
##LOC[Cancel]##