(00:00:08) Right. You are Steven Ender right now. We have a very small audience perhaps only 400 people are so Northrop Auditorium which can seat nearly four thousand folks and behind the curtain Stephen are a gathering of mainly DF ehlers of former Governor Orville. Freeman is here the president of the University of Minnesota Nils hasselmo checked in they have a little coffee and tea in Sandwich session there before the speech begins. I noticed even that mr. And mrs. Al checky-check tin and they will be here apparently to hear the speech as you know, Senator Bradley is in town to not only deliver deliver this Carlson lecture here at the University of Minnesota, which will be hearing in a few moments. But then he stays on to give one of the addresses this evening at the dedication and opening of the Humphrey format the Hubert Humphrey Institute of public affairs. So we'll be standing by waiting your word there. My life is changed. I wonder what I should do now. Well, I'll just I'll just check back there to see if there's anybody else. I'm starving. Hi, this is Alan is petty Ray there. How was the level? No, I said your quietly. Did you hear someone saying? Oh that with a level was okay when distorted roaring? Okay. Thank you, ma'am. Bye. Don't have anything to say what are they doing stashing water in there? How are you? Yeah, we show up in the same place. Same faces. Not quite the same face. You're hiding. Okay, do you think yeah, that's right what I lose up top. I put down on the boat. It's you know, who have we had Abba eban isn't even listed here. Oh, yes. He is. He was the most recent one rule wasn't he? Oh, yes. That was a good one. Okay, I'll put some marks. Bring them on Danny. Give the senator a stick of gum and tell them to get out of here. Montana and we have a line feeder a mic feed Mike. Thank you. When a record over Boris Yeltsin. I'm going to put a capitalist over a communist. Well one could debate either of those. I think Yeltsin from right? Yes. That's true. It's been a lot more but I want to know is how the whole world Senator Bill there's a loose. Yeah, he'll make that they usually call it quits at about 115 for about half an hour to 45 and take questions. We do for half an hour cool your heels. Yeah, no, you're absolutely right. I have been saying hello to some folks who I haven't seen in Steven. It's quite a sight here. Now. We're sitting down in the orchestra pit here at Northrop Auditorium on the Minneapolis campus and just as you are getting ready to come to us here the procession the parade of dignitary started to come out from behind the huge burgundy curtains a heavy curtains of Florida ceiling which separate the rest of us from the folks behind the curtains and what they do before the speechifying here is they have a little coffee drinking session with sandwiches in back of the curtains where there are some dignitaries and Stephen I would have to say that's all Preamble. What I was trying to say and leading up to is that this is a pretty interesting cast of characters who are gathered here are you'd enjoy the Stephen as a former legislative correspondent. We have the lieutenant governor of Minnesota Marlene. Johnson we have a kind of a gaggle of assorted in the state of political figures including the Senate Majority Leader Roger mole and some local politicians to as I mentioned former city council member Cathy O'Brien who is now an aid to to the University Administration is here. And then yeah exactly. I haven't seen a republican face four minutes literally minutes. In fact, since I arrived and other luminaries Stephen include Al checky and mrs. Powell checky who showed up for the coffee session backstage. Yeah, exactly the same and then president Mills hustle more the University of Minnesota who will be doing one of the introductions one introduction is not enough for a Carlson lecture, you know, we have to have a minimum of two introductions. So the president of the University of Minnesota Neil's hustle mode will give 1 introduction which we expect will take place in about a minute here. So and then He will be followed by G Edward shoe the dean of the Humphrey Institute of public affairs who kind of gives the real introduction but what I was trying to lead up to there was to say that you don't always get the president of the University showing up at the Carlson lectures. So Steve and I don't know you can read as much into that is I can does that make meals hasselmo supporter of Bill Bradley well, There you go. There you go with typical incisive Insight. You've cut through it all once again, I think that's exactly it. And and now I said at about the top of the hour that there were about 400 people in the hall. Well as I crane my neck around that's probably up to about no, I don't know 700 800 by now. Yeah, yeah demographics and there you go. I can give it about a 30 second assessment. You know, we were wondering just beforehand Stephen who have been the best Carlson lectures and this is an activity that one should never engage in because someone is almost always offended by settling on one particular person as the best Carlson lecture. We know who the most recent one was. That was Abba eban former Israeli foreign minister and United Nations Ambassador, and he and my personal and humble estimation was very probably the best orator and maybe also by the way gave the most timely address on the situation obviously in the Middle East and for those of you who heard that Carlson lecture also months ago, you will recall that as an excellent one. And then yeah, I kind of figured you'd bring up that name and and he did come along William F block the Buckley holds the here we have the Entourage coming out now second there is Senator Bill Bradley being led by Nelson the daughter / Carlson Carlson companies has endowed the Carlson lecture series and there is also President of University Mills also mall and G Edward shoes sitting down now very shortly. We will hear from the president of the University of Minnesota Nils possible Mall. Senator Bradley We welcome to the universe you to the University of Minnesota. We appreciate your leadership when important National issues the ensure. We appreciate your leadership of the Humphrey Institute and mrs. Nelson. We appreciate your leadership in so many aspects of life in this community distinguished guests. Ladies and gentlemen. We are gathered here this afternoon for a Carlson lecture entitled thoughts on Hubert Humphreys America. As president of this institution is my pleasure to welcome you to the Hubert Humphrey University. This week we celebrate the opening of the Hubert Humphrey Forum part of the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of public affairs located in a building named the Humphrey Center from which incidentally one can see the Hubert H Humphrey Metrodome. We may not be the only institution of higher education who can claim to be Hubert Humphreys, but surely none has claimed his citizen Citizenship as aggressively and as often as we have this week holds a very special significance for the interaction of Hubert Humphreys University and Hubert Humphreys America (00:16:51) this afternoon, (00:16:52) we will hear from the Next Generation in the United States Senate from a senator deeply involved in both the domestic and international policies that also March to the earlier work of Hubert Humphrey. I have no inside information about Senator Bradley speech but I'm willing to predict that will not be a lesson only in past history. Humphreys career has a special way of transcending history his thought and actions a way of providing guidance also for the future. As a university we can take great pride in being the kind of community in which Hubert Humphrey began developing his political skills and his political career Now 50 years later. The opening of the Humphrey Forum gives us the honor the program and the obligation for interpreting Hubert Humphreys career and contributions to new generations of Americans and I'm particularly proud to say that the Humphrey Forum has remarkable capabilities to interpret his career and contributions into the future tense, encouraging young and old alike to recognize their own personal potential to influence the future of society. Humphreys University played a role in the education of a public man. Now we have the rich and full career of that public man, as part of the tradition and substance of a new educational program for future generations and the circle of tradition and renewal continues. It's a great pleasure to have you with us as this renewal continues. Thank you very much. Good afternoon. Let me also welcome you to this important Carlson lecture. We're pleased to have a very distinguished speaker for this distinguished lecture series. The series is managed by the Humphrey Institute citizens education program and is made possible through a generous Grant from Curtis Al Carlson founder and board chairman of the Carlson companies. This lecture is broadcast live on public radio. And for the first time today is being sent by satellite to all four of the coordinate campuses of the University of Minnesota. We welcome the participants at those four sites. We also incidentally welcome the various High School groups who were in attendance today. I would like to thank one group that have been left off of the program today and that's the university Scholars who are who assisted in ushering you to your seats? Let me now turn to our speaker (00:19:51) many of you (00:19:52) may first have known of Senator Bill Bradley is an outstanding basketball player at Princeton University. He was a three-time All-American named college player of the year and winter the amateur athletic association's prestigious Sullivan award. He's also a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame how many of you may also recall that as an athlete he was known as dollar bill Bradley in recognition of his dependability and the confidence people had that he would always perform. Well in those days the dollar was a solid world currency. In addition to learning all those athletic honors Bradley graduated with honors from Princeton University and was later a Rhodes scholar at Oxford University. He has published two books one the widely acclaimed life on the run which recounts his experience as an athlete. Bill Bradley was elected to the US Senate at the tender age of 35 and that and at that time was a sentence youngest member. He quickly received prestigious assignments to the finance committee the energy Committee in the special committee on Aging 1985. He became a member of the select committee on intelligence as that brief overview suggest his talents and interests are wide-ranging. He has long made income tax reform a top priority and had a significant influence on the tax reform Act of 1986. In fact, he's widely recognized as the father of the Reform Act the Senators also offer comprehensive proposals to deal with third world debt and trade problems and was the only u.s. Citizen and only elected official to serve on a select seven-member International Panel to advise the general agreement on tariffs and trade late last year the CIA. To do propose the Pacific Coalition on trade and economic development. I should say a Pacific Basin Coalition on trade and economic development that calls for the establishment of a coalition among the United States and seven other Pacific Basin countries to strengthen the multilateral trade system among other things Senator Bradley has had legislation to deal with high school dropouts gifted and talented children and parental involvement in children's education all enacted into legislation. He has led many efforts to stop reduction in federal aid to education. He really is a friend of Education. He has also championed the expansion of Medicare to cover home health care for older Americans and respite services for family members who care for elderly relatives. He is promoted worldwide immunization programs and is sponsored legislation to reduce infant and maternal mortality. I could go on Talk about his environmental initiatives talk about his initiatives with Athletics and scholarship. These all should give you a flavor of this interest and deep concerns. Senator Bradley. Gritty is the consume it athlete scholar and politician. Senator Bradley's Carlson lecture as president awesome will noted coincides with the opening of the Humphrey exhibit and forb at the University of Minnesota. It would be difficult to find a senator more attuned to the abilities in ideals of former Senator and Vice President Humphrey. Let's give the senator a Minnesota (00:23:38) welcome. Thank you very much president hasselmo Dean shoe. This is Nelson members of The Carlson family members the board of the Humphrey Institute and students. It's good to be in Minnesota. And in a state that has produced so many outstanding public servants and it is a real honor to be chosen to give the lecture today and later this evening to speak at the dedication of the Humphrey form back in 1964. I was a member of the u.s. Olympic basketball team, and I thought we were going to play the Soviets and the final sooner or later. I figured we'd end up playing the Soviets and so I went to a Russian professor at my University and I ask the professor if he could give me a few words that I could use in Russian in case I got into trouble out there. On the floor against the Soviet Union. He said well, what words do you want to have in Russian? And I said well, how about hey. big fella watch out so he gave me the words and sure enough. We got to the finals of the Olympic Games and we were playing the Soviet Union. My opponent was 67 and weighed 240 pounds. I was my present height weight a hundred ninety five pounds about eight minutes into the game. He cracked me with an elbow up along my upper chest and lower neck and I kind of fell back lost my voice very briefly. Remember what the professor said looked at the opponent directly in the eye and said boots hasta rocinha. Which literally translated means? Hey big fella watch out. Funny Thing Happened up until that moment the Soviets had called all of their plays verbally. After that moment, they stop talking to each other. We went on to win the gold medal and the professor deserves the credit. And that story has the same conclusion in an academic setting as well as in an academic setting but there's more of that the moral of that story is be prepared. I have always thought that it was important to be prepared and thinking about the preparation for today's lecture was a great joy for me and actually doing it was a great joy. And so I'd like to if you wouldn't mind reflect a little bit on Hubert Humphrey and his America. Hubert Humphrey learn to lean Hubert Humphrey learn to reach across divisions that separate people. In his childhood home of South Dakota state of farmers. His father was a businessman in a town of Republicans is father was a Democrat. Once during a table conversation his mother who was a republican announced that she had voted for Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge. After the dishes were cleared away Hubert senior took his sons Ralph and Hubert Junior aside and said the following boys. He said I want you to treat your mother with respect don't argue with her don't ever speak harshly ever because she's my sweetheart, but remember Sometimes she's politically unreliable. Here word Humphrey had a long life in politics when he started out as the newly elected mayor of Minneapolis 1945 America was a country of a hundred and forty million people 13 million of those Americans had won a war and were on their way home here at the University of Minnesota. They were throwing up Quonset Huts as fast as they could as fast as they could for families of gi's but the pace of life even with that speed was pretty slow one radio per house two-lane highways only 24 million cars. Most of them Ford's if you wanted to get to Detroit it didn't fly Northwest. You took a train in Minneapolis you you could dial a phone number, but if you were in Bemidji or Albert Lea you picked up the phone and ask the operator to place your call. Mail came twice a day milk every morning the fishing license cost 50 cents and the Timberwolves were found in the woods and not on a basketball court Roosevelt had died and the people were worried about whether that new President. Harry Truman was up to the job the Mayo Clinic had the best doctors in the world, but many people still couldn't afford a doctor and although men and women were returning from war and they could now go to school and look for jobs many face doors that were closed by racial and ethnic quotas and Beyond America's front door. The world was neatly divided into the Free World and the Communist World Franklin Roosevelt's observation that the world was divided between human freedom and human slavery the description that mobilized America against Hitler and Imperial. Japan was now simply applied to the Soviet Union the enslavers. Changed but the American frame of reference remain the same. That was the America that Hubert Humphrey entered as a politician. When you bird Humphreys political career ended with his death in 1978 America looked very different 222 million people 12 million more Veterans of two more Wars The Pentagon. It sucked up billions of taxpayers dollars and grown into a giant bureaucracy education Transportation environment where now Federal departments are welfare state had matured life was faster and more complicated computers manipulated massive quantities of information breakthroughs in Pharmaceuticals extended life expectancy. We were in the age of the frequent flyer of remote TV feeds of super highways and superconductors of a global economy and a global ecology. But Hubert Humphrey was a man as much at home in the world of 1978 as he was in Minneapolis in 1945-46. He was a man who Embrace change and believed in progress. He was challenged by complexity and he always looked ahead. When you bird Humphrey was a boy growing up in Dolan South Dakota. His world was measured by the distance from his school at one end of the street to the Chicago Northwestern railroad Depot at the other end of the street. Sometimes he'd run the length of the town to the depot platform where he'd look down the tracks into the distance and pretend that the tracks just didn't end a hundred miles away, but went on forever connecting the Prairie to the life of the entire nation. So early on in Hubert Humphreys life. He acquired the habit of training his eye on the horizon of looking at what was off in the distance around the bend my job. He once said is to think ahead. And the record shows that he did he had the idea for Medicare 1949 the Peace Corps 1958 a nuclear Test Ban Treaty and 59. When you burn up for he began his career as political agenda seemed wholly impractical I mean federal aid to education a decent minimum wage food for peace a war on poverty legislation for open non-discriminating International Trade. When we think of these initiatives today, we often fail to remember that when he began he began with little support little money and few votes in the Congress of the United States the powerful and the complacent opposed him. It was often a lonely struggle, but he and his supporters had their convictions. And they had an equally important willingness to keep working tirelessly for as long as it took and sometimes it took 10 to 20 years to see it through. Hubert Humphrey had courage and an acute sense of what was right. In 1948. He said for those who say we're rushing on this issue of civil rights. I say to them it's a hundred and seventy-two years too late. Thirty years later he reminded us his words democracy is known for its Beginnings snot its endings think of that comment in the context of what's happening these days in Poland and Hungary and East Germany and even the Soviet Union. In the year of is that his own life ended he was talking about New Beginnings a cleaner environment a stronger economy a more caring Society. Sometimes he had to face ridicule rejection even defeat in pursuing the country's unfinished business. But if you're a man in politics, he said you have to be like a soldier on the battlefield, you know, they're going to be risks, but I'd rather live 50 years as a tiger than a hundred years as a chicken. Hubert Humphrey Hubert Humphrey was not a member of the now generation seeking immediate gratification in some bonfire vanity. He marches to A Different Drummer. He believed in the power of idealism in particular. It was through his commitment to civil rights that he touched a generation of Young Americans from 1948 when he put his political career on the line by fighting for a strong civil rights plank in the party platform to the end of his political career. He sought to find wrongs and correct them and to reach out to those excluded around us the Pinnacle of his Senate civil rights achievement came in 1964 when after defeating a 75-day filibuster by Southern Senators, he finally delivered the nation's greatest legislative breakthrough on civil rights since the Reconstruction the 1964 Civil Rights Act. I spent that summer in Washington. There was the summer between my Junior and senior year in college. I worked as a student intern train for the Tokyo Olympics and research the senior thesis oddly enough on Harry Truman and I was actually up in the corner of the Senate chamber that hot summer night the Civil Rights bill passed as I heard the role called and the vote tallied. I thought to myself, you know, something significant has happened here something that makes America a better place for everyone then I thought well, maybe someday I'll be in the Senate so I can help make America and even better place. So Hubert Humphreys achievement goes beyond his legislative accomplishments. They include the influence of his example. his optimism and enthusiasm his faith in the future his belief in America as a beacon of Liberty and hope and opportunity his conviction that our founding fathers had given the world a new idea of nationhood when they said America is open to all Where the rest of the world saw a nation as a homogeneous society say France our Founders saw it as a heterogeneous society where the rest of the world so our nation has a fixed place with fixed boundaries say Norway. Our Founders saw it as an unsettled place with expanding boundaries for the rest of the world. Saw a nation is stable say England. Our Founders saw our nation as Dynamic where others saw diversity is a form of weakness and vulnerability. Say Japan our Founders saw diversity as strength He would Humphrey agreed with our Founders that an open Society is a generous Society. It's not jealous of the affections of its citizens in an open Society were free to have many loyalties were free to hold many allegiances were free to read the Quran or the Bible or the sacred texts of the Veda were free to celebrate Thanksgiving or Passover or both were free to call ourselves African-Americans asian-americans polish Americans Hispanic Americans, we can live as we like and move when and where we choose At the same time the vision of an open Society is a demanding vision. It asks a lot of each of us. It asks us not to punish differences, but to tolerate them. It asks us to find a common Bond not in shared language or race or religion, but in a shared set of principles a belief in the rights of Liberty Justice the Merit and the need for a quality. And open Society asks us not to Fear The Stranger but to accept him. Hubert Humphrey did so gladly and in doing so he gave a profound meeting to another word patriotism. patriotism I mean, I think I know what it means to be proud to be an American. I remember back to those Olympics in 64 just defeated the Soviet Union. I remember standing on the pedestal with the gold medal around my neck the chills going up and down my spine as the flag was raised the national anthem was played I was proud proud for myself and for my country. patriotism but you know, it's a little like strength. If you've got it, you don't need to wear it on your sleeve. The Patriot isn't always the loudest One In Praise of his country or the one whose chest swells the most when the parade passes by or the one who never admits we could do anything better. No. The Patriot is one who's there when individual liberty is threatened from abroad? From our very Beginnings Patriots have stepped forward to defend Liberty. Let me tell you a story. It's about a battle in the Revolutionary War the Battle of Princeton in New Jersey a battle that had a single stroke restored American morale broke the strategy of the British enemies and sent the first clear signal to European powers that the Americans were capable actually defeating a great power like Britain. Story begins on December 29th 1776. Here's the setting just a few days after washing is crossed the Delaware into New Jersey taking the British by surprise at Trenton and defeated them. He now wants to Spring a second surprise the second attack this time a couple of miles north at Princeton. But he's racing against the clock in just 48 Hours the term Of Enlistment for his troops will expire his men will then be free to go home consequently has to face his troops and persuade them to re-up at the worst possible moment. I mean the men are in bad shape. They're out of everything food clothing blankets supplies. They don't have shoes. They've been Crossing and recrossing the Delaware and freezing rain and snow. Their Rags are Frozen to their skin Washington knows he's in trouble. He finally has the British on the run, but in just 48 Hours his own troops will be on the Run possibly on the run home. So he tells the drummer to begin beating the drum for the volunteers. Cause the men together talks about the victory at Trenton tells him how much he needs them. Ask them to fight on with him. Just one more month. He says not another year just 30 days Washington weights not a single man steps forward. He tries again. He tells them he's asked everything of them that he possibly has a right to ask. He tells them that he knows they're tired. He knows they're sick, but that he can't just spare them the he doesn't know how he can do it without him. No one steps forward. Finally, he offers them a challenge. He says if you just fight for one month, you'll be serving Liberty and serving your country in a way. You never will be able to do again. You can't postpone it you can't defer it. Our freedom will be won or lost in this present moment. This was the test. I mean, these were free men. They weren't like the mercenaries the British had a couple of miles north at Princeton. They weren't they were they were just doing a job. They were free men and they could choose. This time a few men did step forward then a few more than a few more eventually about 200 men Rose to the challenge. So the story goes the battle of Princeton played out and half the men who stepped forward for that extra month died before the month was up, but it's fair to say just as Washington said later. That the Battle of Princeton was won at that present moment when 200 men decided to fight for freedom. In other places and other times there have been other Patriots who responded when individual liberty was threatened from abroad and World War One World War II Korea Vietnam, even that wrong had an action in Beirut in 1983. Yes that to all who served in these conflicts were defending Liberty as our democracy chose in its sometimes fallible way to define the need to defend Liberty. Hubert Humphrey understood that leaders Define when that need exists and he painfully came to understand how in questions of War and Peace leaders. Sometimes make tragic blunders. But patriotism doesn't need a war for its highest expression. Patriotism is often unpretentious greatness. Patriot goes to work every day to make America a better place in our schools and hospitals and factories and farms and offices. Patriot knows that a welfare worker should listen a teacher should teach a nurse should give comfort. A patriot of chords respect and dignity to those she meets. A patriot lives by his honor a patriot tries in a secular as well as a spiritual sense to be his brother's keeper. In the past month we've seen much selfless action in South Carolina and San Francisco firemen policemen Engineers Red Cross workers volunteers working day or night without food or sleep to rescue the dead and lend help and comfort to the living. These aren't people whose faces you'd recognize not famous names not people with glamorous jobs or fancy clothes are expensive cars, but they're worth paying attention to there's some of our unpretentious Patriots. When the only grandfather that I ever knew came to this country he went to work with his hands and Glass Factory. He worked long and hard and after work. He lived really for three things. The first thing you live far was to go to the public library on a Saturday night and check out western novels which you would read and reread over and over again. I mean, I think he memorizing gray. I'm not sure but I think so the second thing he lived for sometimes got of my grandmother's nerves was to sit on the front porch and listen on the radio to his first love baseball. And the third thing he lived for was to tell his grandson me what America meant to him. He said America was great. It was great because it was free and because people seem to care about each other. Because it was free and people seem to care about each other. Those two freedom and caring are the two Inseparable halves of American patriotism. Hubert Humphrey took it another step. He saw Public Service as an expression of patriotism. And he knew that elective office was one of democracies marvelous abstractions what I mean by that, well the exercise power but you must never claim it you work you create your affect people's lives, but you do so with your own sense of Frailty and your own place and time which you know always passes. He knew that if too many people in government detest it instead of respect it you get inefficiency and Corruption. He knew that the ability of government to improve the conditions of people's lives depends on citizens who believe that the real payoff the public service comes not from some fat Consulting contract or juicy perk but from making life better for their fellow citizens. And article of the democratic faith is that greatness lies in every citizen? All that's needed is to Summit in the right way summon it up just in the right way and for that we Revere our great leaders. But ultimately, we put our faith in the heroism of ordinary Americans struggling with everyday problems and you know something When that happens the people reciprocate they sense which of our leaders are Democrats who respect the people and which are pretenders who manipulate the people. I want to ask two men who live deep in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Who's your favorite President quick as a rifle shot in the hollow. They both fired back Harry Truman why I said because he didn't think he was any better than us. And in a democracy, it's important to remember. He isn't. Hubert Humphrey understood this He grew up on the stories about Jefferson and Lincoln and Wilson looked up to FDR's a great leader when someone asked him who he admired the most he said his words. Just the plain Ordinary People of my childhood. I saw so many brave people. They left me with a great reservoir of strength. The plain Ordinary People of Humphreys childhood were people out there on the Prairie struggling against a common foe a terrible depression that began earlier and hung on longer on the Prairies of South Dakota than it did most other places in the country. Hubert Humphrey knew what it was like to lose the family house Humphreys lost. There's knew what it was like to lose the family business Humphries loss. There's twice Knew what? It was like to see Neighbors pleading for just another week of credit. Just give me one more week at the Humphrey drugstore. It happened all the time. He know what it was to breathe the dust and despair every day every year after year. on the other hand He also knew what it was like to move to another town find a New Drug Store started all over again. And all over America people were making the best of things. If you had a chicken and if you had to take a chicken in exchange for some medicine on a Monday, well, you could always serve chicken salad sandwiches at the drugstore counter on Tuesday. And if you're Custer customer couldn't make good on his bill. Well, maybe the best thing to do was to forgive the Dead all together all over America people were helping each other out and this way or that way. years later in the small, Missouri factory town where I grew up a local Banker recalled that his proudest moment throughout was that throughout the depression. He never foreclosed on a home of anyone. He was my father. Hubert Humphreys experiences during the 1930s left an indelible imprint on his life and political values. He never forgot the child who couldn't do his math because his stomach was empty. He never forgot the father who couldn't work because he was sick and couldn't afford to see a doctor. He never forgot the senior citizens who had to choose between buying blood pressure pills and buying bread and milk. You never forgot teenager who had to fight off the corruption of the streets to stay in school. He lived with deep conviction the words. He used to quote all the time about of FDR. Who said the test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much it is whether we provide enough to those who have too little FDR. He would Humphrey live those words. I believe that the ultimate Challenge posed to a citizen in a democracy is to ask yourself what you owe in other human being by this? I don't mean to ask yourself what you owe yourself or your family or somebody, you know, but rather what you owe a stranger simply because he or she is a part of the human race and human community. Each of us along with our conscience and our intellect has to decide what we owe to starving Ethiopians or to refugees from tyranny or to the deinstitutionalized homeless who sleep on the street corners of our major cities. My life is told me then I do owe another human being. And I owe that person more than charity or taxes. I only part of my life. That's why I'm in politics. And after it's all boiled down, I believe that's why Hubert Humphrey was in politics now not everyone who asked that question. What do I owe another human being it's going to answer it in the same way. But each of us as individuals has to decide I think he would Humphrey would like the story Arma Bombeck tells about a successful career woman who decides she's had enough making money and wants to give something back. When she asked the question what how who where what steps do I take? And in her puzzling, she writes Mother Teresa in Calcutta offers to volunteer, but more importantly seeks Mother Teresa's advice about what she should do and how she should do it week's Pass a month passes month and a half finally a letter comes. She opens it not a long letter. Mother Teresa has a one-sentence reply. She says thank you for your offer. But find your own Calcutta. So I say to all those students in the audience today thinking about your future after college find your own Calcutta. It's around you everyday. For some here today, it may be a life in politics for others. It may be volunteer service in the community or simply taking time to help a stranger in need. But whatever you choose if you make the choice to help. You'll discover there's nothing in life more fulfilling and nothing more necessary than to solve some of our most difficult problems today and nothing more essential to realize the potential of your own Humanity. Hubert Humphrey made that choice and because he made that choice. America is better off. We are all better off that he was there. Thank you (00:55:14) US senator Bill Bradley concluding his remarks here at the Carlson lecture University of Minnesota being broadcast to you (00:55:20) live with workstations of Minnesota Public Radio The Godly causing a moment as he takes the Applause from the audience here modify and perhaps fifteen hundred people gathered (00:55:32) at The Institute deem your virtue rising to take questions. (00:55:37) Now we're going to do questions. I see the dean shoe is poised and ready to Harpoon me with the most complicated academic question that any person could ask These are all really (00:55:50) soft easy. But Senator (00:55:52) Let Me Tell You Dean how I like to do questions and answers and now usually if the audience raised its hand I call and somebody in the audience which I really prefer to do. But since I can't see any of you today if you raised your hand I called on you and was a question. I didn't know the answer to her. I thought the answer was question was stupid. I usually go like that and then go to the next person and so Dane if any of those questions, I just want to have the option to do that. That's fine. I thought you were going to ask me to answer them. That's another (00:56:23) option. Let me give you the first one. We have recently A Time Magazine cover story focused on the supposed inability of the national government to (00:56:33) address serious problems such as the budget and drunks. Do you feel this was a fair (00:56:39) criticism and if so, how can the problem be REM (00:56:42) criticism of whom government could a criticism of the Congress Congress national government? And which in this case I think meat mostly Congress. I think that is certainly legitimate criticism on the budget deficit. I'm not sure it's a legitimate criticism on the issue of drugs, but I'll accept it. On the budget it is a legitimate criticism, but I would enlarge the criticism to include the president. President after all is the one who fought an election in a way that makes it very difficult for him to govern it makes it virtually impossible for the budget deficit to be reduced. I think we are past the time where Democrats play the fool in the Republican political drama and urge tax increases in times where the Republicans are playing the other side of the car. I think that to the extent that the president is serious about deficit reduction, and I know there are large segments of his advisors who urged that we don't need to do anything about the deficit we can continue to borrow from abroad growth is still high profits are high we can postpone this indefinitely. But if there are others and there were few people who urged to do something about the extent that he wants to do something about he'll find a willing Congress my personal hope is that he will decide to do something about it next year. It will include revenues and spending cuts and that he will find a willing Congress on drugs, you know every year. I've been there in the last three to four almost we've done a drug bill. The problem with drugs is not the answer isn't going to come only from the federal government. I mean we can do a lot providing education we can do a lot and toughening penalties we can do a lot and dealing with the international Dimensions. But ultimately it's got to take place in each family. I personally think there have to be clear consequences for drug use. I think that in addition there have to be very clear opportunities for alternative careers. I would draw a distinction between middle class and upper class drug use and lower class drug use on the lower end. I think we need to have a growing economy more education opportunity for people to have a healthy life outside the drug culture and on the middle and upper class in I think there need to be consequences to drug use think the federal government has a role in some of those areas, but it is not the exclusive job of the federal government. It's a job of every family in America. (00:59:31) Very good. Let me turn now to the domestic scene to the international scene. Somebody has asked that you comment on the dramatic changes that have occurred East and West Berlin these this past week. And also how do you expect that situation to play out? And I think part of that includes implications for eec 92 and that sort of thing. (00:59:56) Well the events of the last several days that we've seen in Berlin on one since normos lie hardening. It's important for us to remember they could not have happened had mr. Gorbachev not repudiated the Brezhnev Doctrine the threat of Soviet military intervention witnessed Poland witness Czechoslovakia witness Hungary Czech Poland witness Hungary and Czechoslovakia is what kept the repressive regimes in power. Gorbachev is now basically sent the message the Sinatra Doctrine, you know find your own way and the result is that there are things happening in the East block that we couldn't have imagined happening. Just three or four years ago where this ultimately leads. I do not think it will affect Europe 92, but it will lead to a need to redefine the security Arrangements of Europe the respective roles of each side and I hope that we will avoid a return to a kind of 19th century by lateral relation power politics and we'll manage to keep things together. I would like to see European Community grow and expand Beyond 1992 to include some other countries. I would like to see most of all the military forces that are poised to cross from each other in Germany dramatically reduced Gorbachev has made a step in the right direction. In by unilaterally cutting six five hundred thousand troops by 1991 there is still more to do to reduce our weapons and their weapons in Central Europe. But what you're seeing here is a page of History turning. Nobody knows quite where it's going to turn out. It's important for us to know what our interests are. Our interests are to reduce the military threat in Central Europe first and foremost and that means being at the table when the Soviets are amenable to reduce conventional forces dramatically, and then it means putting some of our best Minds together and really thinking through some of the problems that frankly we were botched in 1919 and in (01:02:09) 1945. Good. I'm going to stay on international issues and we have some Senator that Senator the little bit (01:02:17) sticky this happens to be one. It's (01:02:19) a bit sticky one aspect of Hubert. Humphreys. America was the immoral and ineffective war in Southeast. Asia given that the United States is providing Aid and advisors to the arena government of El Salvador. Would you say that America learned any lessons from its experience in Vietnam, please compare the situation in El Salvador to (01:02:40) Vietnam. Yeah. I think one of the dangers human history is an important guide historical analogies are sometimes dangerous. I think it is very important to see each situation a new informed by history, but not a prisoner of history. And therefore I would not make a comparison between Vietnam and El Salvador. I think that the problem in El Salvador Central America generally is a problem whose root cause is poverty poverty is a breeding ground for revolution. If we are serious about developing a long-term policy, then you got to be able to address the problem of poverty. And the way you do that is you open your markets up to Goods. They have comparative advantage in you make sure that you're able to reduce their debt burden accumulated in a different time under largely right-wing dictatorships. You make sure that your Aid is targeted so that human rights are observed as opposed to being abrogated and you go very cautiously on Military assistance in a region where who's on first is not always clear and who's on your side is sometimes less clear, but I would reject the idea that it is. There is an analogy between what happened in South Vietnam. In Vietnam and what is happening today in Central America? I would say quite straight lie that I believe the Administration has not had a policy here. I believe that the contras as a policy was really a an excuse for it was an issue that was used for domestic political consumption and had no relevance whatsoever to events even in the midterm certainly in the long-term importance of the region. (01:04:40) Very good. Thank you today. I'd (01:04:42) encourage you to send up your cards. (01:04:43) If you haven't already written down your question done. So next question is do you see the Senate taking more initiative and arms control legislation in 1990 with a Gorbachev Gorbachev Revolution bringing an end to the Cold War isn't this an opportune time to be taking such Arms Control (01:05:02) initiative. The executive branch is The Negotiator the executive branch will negotiate the treaties. I have debated and voted on any number of resolutions in 11 years in the Senate that have advised and administration is to what we thought but ultimately it is an Administration that either seizes the opportunity or fails to seize the opportunity. I believe that we have never had a better chance to reduce conventional forces and Zeke weapons on both sides then we now have and the reason I say that is that I believe Mikhail Gorbachev in 1985 when he took over looked out at society that was disintegrating before his eyes. He looked out at a society for example where we had a rising infinite adult mortality rate. We're 13 percent of the deaths were due to bad water. We're a hundred and two cities in the Soviet Union had of a hundred two cities of over 50,000 population had air pollution 10 times the permitted Soviet average a society that was corrupt not only in the sense of criminality, but in the sense of people losing faith that the system could ever deliver something better for their children and I think he decided he's going to have to make some tough choices and he was going to be willing to make some tough choices. And when he finally got some numbers since everybody was lying to everyone else was in the bureaucracy. He discovered he had a budget deficit was three to four times greater than the u.s. In relative terms. He discovered that nothing worked in the system and he concluded that he had to embark on some massive reforms that we have come to know and the words perestroika glossners and democratization perestroika economic decentralisation moving toward a market-oriented economy a little more glass know'st remember isn't kind of freedom of expressions of right under law but permission to speak. And to worship increasingly more openly and democratization is essentially at this point giving you your choice of who's your favorite communist and we should not underestimate the importance of these reforms. And we should not underestimate the importance of these reforms as they pertain to the question that you ask which is the size of the defense budgets and Arsenal's on both sides of the barrier. When you talk to reformers they say if we succeed it will mean that economic criteria will be more dominant in the allocation of resources. If he can AMA criteria more dominant in the allocation of resources, that means clearly they don't need six hundred thousand troops in eastern Europe massive strategic Arsenal's third world adventures. And in fact, they need a much lower defense budget. When I used to give this comment several years ago, I would say and therefore we should expect mr. Gorbachev to come to the table and proposed Mutual reductions. I didn't give that speech any longer after December of last year when he went to the UN and cut troops unilaterally by 500,000. we are now at a time where he has to reduce defense expenditures, if he is going to be able to address the other issues that are pressing in his society and they are many that is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We should be at that table. We should be pushing we should reduce forces and we should reduce weapons dramatically. That is the most important way. We can be a partner and that would imply that the question that says should the Congress push on arms control would be Superfluous because you would have a administration at recognizes this historic opportunity where the Congress can play a very big role, I think. Is in taking what is the next step here if indeed that is the situation and he has to do this for his own economic reasons at home. Then and he is going to reduce the threat. Well, what does that mean for us? Well, you know in my talk, I quoted FDR who 40 50 years. Let's see 50 years ago almost almost 50 years ago said the world was divided between human freedom and human slavery ever since he said that we know which side we were on we're for human Freedom were against human slavery. We're against the Nazis Imperial Japan communist China communist Soviet Union. We've had a very clear view. we've defined ourselves however by saying what we're against now what we're for and DH Lawrence has said it's never really Freedom till you decide what you positively want to be. And so the challenge he poses for us if the threat is indeed being reduced which I think it will be an is is what do we believe what is our positive definition of who we are they're going to be plenty of people in the political process are going to be very uneasy with that. They're gonna be looking for a new enemy. Well, maybe it'll be Nicaragua or Japan are ran our somebody. I don't put myself in that category. I put myself on the side says look, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build on the strengths of this country and Define who we are positively so that's what the Congress. And anybody in political life and anybody in an academic community and any student it's thinking about his life or her life. Should be trying to articulate and right. Make it (01:11:27) super let me take you on a little bit onto Public Service. What perspectives do you have on the issue of our public Representatives having life experiences in income that are further and further away from the everyday experiences of the majority or the hurting minority of Americans. (01:11:48) I think that the problem is when people think elective office is kind of a permanent position. Our Founders always believed that elective office they call them citizen citizen politicians where you come in and you stay awhile and then you go back. Well, it's a different age and what's happened is people feel that they are there for life or they should be and they then have the genuine financial difficulties of operating two homes, two places Etc. And then you get the attitude that the question that you posed in involves. The fact is that somebody who was a congressman or a senator and won't please their families much given the stress on the resources, but the fact is that they are in the upper three percent of the people of this country. And the fact is that if somebody can't make it on that income then they ultimately have to face whether they should do something else Henry Clay did he did something else for a while any number of other politicians in American history have done something else for a while. So I think that the question however doesn't my answer doesn't deal with the other aspect of your question, which is our politicians there for losing touch with their electorates. I don't think that necessarily follows. I think that plenty of politicians whatever their income level understand that the nature of a representative democracy is listening to your constituents as well as thinking about their future in yours and to listen to your constituents. You have to be out there. You can't be in some room in Washington worrying about amendments to amendments to bills on the floor of the Congress all of which are necessary for your job, but not sufficient for your Democratic responsibility. You have to be out there with the people. I personally find that to be a process that is rien is restorative to me anytime. I get down which from time to time politicians. Do I said get me out in the street? So get me out on the beaches walking the beaches are get me at the commuter stops, or get me some place where I can interact with the Flesh and Blood of what my job is and every time that happens. I come back charged up. So I don't think it necessarily follows that even if people who are representatives and Senators today have incomes in the upper three percent that they are therefore losing touch with their constituents some do and some would if they made in the bottom three percent. That's the nature of human beings. (01:15:01) I'll give you one on International economic policy is our Liberty and freedom going to be compromised by our dependence on foreign investment IE. Why shouldn't Japan have limitations as we do in this (01:15:14) country? Well, actually what why shouldn't Japan have limitations, okay. The whole argument relating to International Trade. It's like let me see if I can put it this way. It's like you have a mosaic. Right? And what you're arguing about is about four tiles in the mosaic. And those four tiles are international trade current account deficits, etc, etc. That is a important but only a very small aspect of the international economic crisis are opportunity of today. What do I mean by that? Well, we're dead or Nation now. The legacy of Ronald Reagan. We are a debtor Nation. We have a cumulative debt that is infinitely bigger than anybody when I started in politics 11 years ago thought any prudent much any sane much not always that any prudent person Jack check any prudent person would have risked but there we are. So now what do we do? I mean, you know, do you want the Japanese and the Germans and others to stop lending US money and have interest rates go up in this country and result recession and people out of work. No, we don't want that. Well, all they're doing is spending the money that we've spent on their goods and then you get into well is the 10 to 15% of the trade deficit that is result of restrictions in those countries the issue or is there a broader question? Well, it's an issue but it's only 10 or 15% of the answer. The broader question is where now debtor country Japan and Germany are Surplus countries. How do we think about that? Well in the 19th century the British was were serpent was a surplus country what they do with their Surplus. They built America. They built America at the end of 1940 fed in 1945. We were a surplus country. What do we do while we rebuild the Germans and the Japanese? In the mid-70s OPEC were Surplus Nations. What did they do? They recycled their debt back to Latin American debtors, and the result was a catastrophe. So the question really is what do we want to have happen to the Japanese Surplus? The Germans pretty much are headed to dump it into Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. That's my guess. Beware, what are the Japanese going to do and the key to our policy making in the next decade is going to be to convince the Japanese to use their Surplus, which they already have is like demographics. They God. To use their Surplus in a way that strengthens the world economy that strengthens growth that is environmentally sound and then contributes to the better prospect that if we have increased productivity will be able to benefit from that growing Market worldwide. Those are the questions not whether this year. It's billion more billion Less in trade deficit (01:18:33) could like you try to squeeze into more questions yet. The first deals with the role of Athletics institutions of higher (01:18:39) education. I'm against all (01:18:42) sports all sports except one including football some argue that alumni want their Universe (01:18:51) Clem. I said, except one. (01:18:54) Some people argue that alumni want their universities to have successful football basketball programs and they argued that to be competitive you need to pay athletes and do other things that violate NCAA rules. This University is struggling with this conflict right now. What do you think the balance should (01:19:13) be don't pay play? That's right. Some other details go ahead. You know, that's kind of short answer that might even make the Evening News (01:19:31) ha ha ha ha (01:19:33) depends unlike the answer on the Soviet Union our trade or any of these other issues that might make the evening news. That's the nature of politics of the prom. No, I mean, I think that that It is the job of the university to educate students and I think compromises in the area of Athletics erode the character and values of the institution itself and sooner or later. It's ironic isn't it that I've had three applauses here today in an hour and a half and two of them have been on Sports. So I think that don't pay play and also support my bill that would require universities to give graduation rates for those who are on athletic scholarships (01:20:41) one last question has to do with the problem of inducing young people interesting young people to go into (01:20:48) public service. (01:20:50) We're in a situation today where most capable young people simply do not care to go into public service. What do you suggest that we try to do about that? (01:21:00) Well, that was the line in my prepared remarks where I said when those in government to test instead of respect it. You end up with inefficiency and Corruption. Now, I believe that it is up to leaders to be able to convey to the public at large including young people the excitement of Public Service. I mean if Hubert Humphrey did anything he certainly did that you couldn't come into a room and hear him talk about anything without leaving enthused about public service me, you know the story of the farmer and I don't know what part of Minnesota's his arm against Hubert Humphrey and everything, but I'll go to the I'll go the speech he sits down after 5 minutes. He's up chair and he said well what I mean is I don't know what he said exactly but he sure sounded good and I'm formed the point. The point is that's you know, maybe an apocryphal story. I don't know but the point is that when people in government are enthusiastic about what they do and how it can make the conditions of life better for other people in this country and I might Around the world then people want to be a part of it. Believe me. That's a little different than being in a junk bond deal and you know different there's room in America for both. And I just think when the platform is captured by individuals who view Public Service as if not a calling at least a rare opportunity, then that message permeates the population including college campuses and people began to see what's possible through Public Service as opposed to what has been denigrated about public service (01:22:54) marvelously perceptive and candid comments. Let's give them all a big round (01:23:02) coverage Carlson lecture by New Jersey senator Bill Bradley than Factory stroke care for about sixteen hundred Folks at Northrop Auditorium at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis coverage of this live event is (01:23:20) concluded and some of the Bradley Bill token of appreciation from managers of the events of Humphrey Institute will be Later today at the dedication of the Humphrey Forum at the Humphrey Institute as well. Then he'll be returning we're told Washington DC this evening. This is Dan also now turning it back to Stephen Smith.