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March 9, 2010 by Andrew Kentz

The Senate’s Loss of a Voice of Decency and Judgment

A few weeks ago, Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., unexpectedly announced that he would not seek re-election. The decision sparked debate regarding the political implications of his retirement, including as one measure of public approval for President Barack Obama and as a harbinger for the prospects for a rejuvenated Republican Party in the November elections.

I first met Dorgan in 1984 while he was serving in the House of Representatives. A year later I accepted his offer to become his Chief of Staff and Counsel. During my time working closely with him, I came to appreciate Dorgan’s indefatigable commitment to his North Dakota constituents and to service to his country. He seemed to never stop working, to stop trying to fashion solutions for the most complex policy problems, and, most simply, to stop caring.

Dorgan’s policy roots can be found in his faith in the common sense judgment and moral clarity of the men and women who work on our farms and in our manufacturing plants. These are the folks who maintain our social structure and fuel our economy. Byron has long understood that America can only be as strong as the working families that are its foundation.

Twenty-five years ago, long before our trade deficits had ballooned to current unfathomable levels, I would hear Dorgan say that America could not maintain its international stature and national prosperity if it stopped growing the food and making the products needed around the world. We could not become a country of just money traders, we needed to be producers. From that simple recognition, Dorgan developed into one of the Senate’s fiercest supporters of the country’s fair trade laws. He understood that it is critical not only to open foreign markets to U.S. goods but also to fully enforce our own trade laws and trade agreements against those foreign producers or governments that violate international trade rules.

Others can speculate on why Dorgan has decided to retire and what his retirement means to the political landscape. I find it more worthwhile to reflect upon all that he accomplished during his distinguished career, how many lives were made a bit better due to his tireless efforts, and how much he will be missed in the Senate as a voice of reason and good sense.

See full article at: http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/271203/.

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