2007 Blavatt Family Lecture

10th Annual Blavatt Lecture on Public Affairs
Tom Daschle and Dick Armey
Gettysburg College, March 23, 2007

The Eisenhower Institute and Gettysburg College hosted a two-day symposium on the future of political parties on the campus of Gettysburg College on March 23-24, 2007. The symposium was headlined by the 10th Annual Blavatt Lecture on Public Affairs, featuring former House and Senate Majority Leaders Dick Armey of Texas and Tom Daschle of South Dakota. As leaders of their respective parties in Congress, Senator Daschle and Congressman Armey each served with distinction at the critical juncture of politics and governance. They are the ultimate "practitioners" and their presentations did not disappoint. They were each extremely forthright about the future of our country's political system, enumerating both its weaknesses and its strenths, and gave us a unique insight into the current political climate. The lecture was open to the public was held in the Ballroom of the College Union Building. Extended biographies for both speakers are listed below.

The Blavatt Lecture Series brings to the Gettysburg College Campus individuals whose professional experiences provide an insightful perspective of the American political system. Previous speakers have included William K. Suter, Clerk of the United States Supreme Court, Governor Howard Dean, a 2004 Democratic Party Presidential Candidate and former Governor of Vermont, G. Gordon Liddy, nationally syndicated talk show host, Senator Paul S. Sarbanes, (D-MD), Linda Greenhouse, Senior Correspondent of the The New York Times, Fred Fielding, Counselor to President Reagan and President George W. Bush, political scientist and national election analyst, Professor Lawrence J. Sabato, Susan Page, Washington Bureau Chief for USA Today, and Louis Fisher of the Congressional Research Service for the Library of Congress.

The Annual Lecture is sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Blavatt of Owings Mills, Maryland. Blavatt family members Jeffrey, '88, and his wife, Kelly '03 and Jason, '90, and his wife, Amy, '91, remain active supporters of the College.

The lecture series was coordinated by professors of political science Kenneth F. Mott and Shirley Anne Warshaw. For additional information, contact the department of political Science at (717) 337-6040 or at this email address.

CONGRESSMAN RICHARD (DICK) ARMEY
First elected to the United States House of Representatives from the 26th Congressional District in 1984, Richard (Dick) Armey went to Washington, D.C. as a novice. Armey has remarked many times, "When I came to Washington, the only Congressman I'd known or spent much time with was the man I beat." As a strong believer in the policies of President Ronald Reagan, Congressman Armey became known for his dedication to good public policy based on conservative principles.

During the 1990's, Congressman Armey was one of the architects of the Republican Revolution that enabled the GOP to win majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. In 1994, while serving as Chairman of the House Republican Caucus, Armey was the primary author of the "Contract With America," a collection of ten bills that were later brought up for a vote during the first 100 days of a Republican-controlled Congress. When the GOP took control of the House of Representatives, for the first time in 40 years, Armey's leadership enabled the House to pass 60% of the provisions of the Contract With America. In the 104th Congress, Armey ran unopposed for the position of Majority Leader. Using his strong leadership skills, Armey successfully negotiated so that the 104th Congress passed the first balanced budget in a generation.

Armey was also instrumental in the passage of legislation in the areas of electronic commerce, economic matters and homeland defense initiatives. He served as Chairman of the House Select Committee on Homeland Security. In 2002, Armey was the chief sponsor of the legislation that created the Department of Homeland Security. During his congressional career to the present, Armey remains a fervent supporter of replacing progressive tax levels with a single or flat tax level. However, he is extremely critical of a competing tax reform proposal that would replace the current system with a national sales tax. Armey served as Majority Leader of the House of Representatives until his retirement in 2003.

Born in the farming town of Cando, North Dakota, Armey graduated from Cando High School and then attended Jamestown College earning his undergraduate degree in 1963. He went on to receive a master's degree from the University of North Dakota in 1964 and later a doctorate in economics from the University of Oklahoma in 1968. Prior to his congressional career, Armey was a member of the faculties at the University of Montana, West Texas Agricultural & Mechanical University, and Austin College. In addition, he served as a senior administrator and as professor of economics at the University of North Texas (formerly North Texas State University). Armey was selected as a Distinguished Fellow of the Fisher Institute that is based in Dallas.

Armey is an accomplished author, lecturer and panelist. In 1995, he wrote Freedom Revolution. His publications also include Armey's Axioms: 40 Hard-earned Truths from Politics, Faith and Life, and Price Theory. He currently serves as a senior policy advisor for DLA Piper, a national law firm of 3,000 attorneys. Armey works in the Government Affairs, Federal Legislative Practice Group of the Washington, D.C. Office. In addition, he is Chairman of Freedom Works, Inc., which is the entity formed by the merger of Citizens for a Sound Economy, a grass-roots education organization, and Empower America, a think-tank founded by former Secretary of Education Bill Bennett and former Congressman Jack Kemp.

SENATOR THOMAS DASCHLE
During the last decade, Senator Daschle has been one of the most powerful influential figures in American politics. Having served from 1994 -2005, as both Majority Leader and Minority Leader of the United States Senate, Daschle understands the complexity of passing important legislation. Daschle has earned a reputation as a tireless fighter for America's common man.

Daschle was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1978 and was subsequently re-elected to three successive terms. In 1986, he was elected to the United States Senate becoming the 1,776 member of this prestigious body. He was immediately appointed to the powerful Senate Finance Committee, an unusual honor for a freshman Senator.

During an eighteen year career in the Senate, he enacted legislation that directly improved the lives of many Americans. During his congressional career, Daschle was an advocate for quality education, comprehensive healthcare, agriculture communities, military veterans, Native Americans and working families. He demanded fiscal discipline from both Congress and the Executive Branch. Daschle served on the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, the Veterans Committee, the Indian Affairs Committee and the Ethics Committee. To encourage ongoing dialogue with his constituents, Senator Daschle was one of the first elected officials to establish a toll-free telephone line. In 1988, then Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell named Daschle the first Co-Chair of the Democratic Policy Committee thereby making him the first South Dakotan ever to hold a Senate leadership position. In 1994, he was chosen by his colleagues to serve as the Minority Leader of the United States Senate. It is noteworthy that only Lyndon Johnson served fewer years prior to his election as Leader of the Democratic Party than Senator Daschle. He served as Majority Leader for the Democratic Party from January 3, 2001 through January 20, 2001 and later from June 6, 2001 through January 3, 2003.

Born in Aberdeen, South Dakota, Daschle graduated from South Dakota State University in 1969 with a degree in political science. Daschle began his career in public service as an intelligence officer. He served in the Strategic Air Command of United States Air Force from 1969 until 1972. Following his military service, he served as an aide to South Dakota Senator James Abourezk for five years.

He is an accomplished author, lecturer and scholar. In 2003, Daschle published Like No Other Time: The 107th Congress and the Two Years that Changed America Forever. Daschle currently serves as a Special Policy Advisor at the law firm of Alston & Bird LLP. In addition, he is a visiting professor at the Georgetown Public Policy Institute at Georgetown University as well as a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress.