Partners in the Senate Scoop & Slade By Hans Zeiger UW Libraries, Special Collections, #UW28891

ne of the greatest duos in the history of the United States Senators Henry M. Jackson and Slade Senate was “Scoop and Maggie”—Democrats Henry M. Jack- Gorton host a troop of Boy Scouts at the son and Warren Magnuson. Together they represented the US Capitol on July 23, 1981. state of Washington from Jackson’s election to the Senate in could only be redeemed with scrip by 1954 until Magnuson’s defeat in 1980. Oddly enough, in the permission of the Interior Department. two and a half years after Magnuson lost to Republican Slade Gorton, a close O An additional law in 1955 diminished and important friendship developed between Gorton and “Scoop” Jackson. the pool of usable scrip by requiring Gorton and Jackson first became purchased antique Valentine land scrip holders to register their land acquainted in the early 1960s when scrip, a 19th-century government- within a designated time period. Due to Gorton was a young Republican state issued certificate for western land that further pending legislation throughout representative and an attorney at the often had gone to war veterans as com- the early 1960s, Lazara’s 1961 applica- Seattle firm of Little, Gandy, Stephan, pensation for their service. The trouble tion for scrip lands was held up in an Palmer, and Slemmons. Gorton rep- with Lazara’s effort to acquire scrip Interior Department stalemate. resented Greenacres, Inc., a forestry lands was that the Taylor Grazing Act Gorton became Lazara’s lobbyist as investment firm owned by Seattle of 1934 had reclassified extensive scrip Congress considered new scrip laws. native Michael Lazara. Lazara had lands as grazing areas, and those lands At least twice, Gorton testified before

COLUMBIA 5 SPRING 2015 Jackson’s Committee on Interior and Gorton wrote to Jackson at that arguing 14 cases before the United States Insular Affairs. This became Gorton’s time, thanking him for his advocacy Supreme Court, representing Washing- first real acquaintance with Jackson, and expressing his regard both for Jack- ton in the famous Native American fish- and he was impressed: son and for the US Senate. “One of the ing rights case known as the “Boldt Deci- great pleasures of this long campaign sion,” and suing Major League Baseball What I really remember about it is that on has been the chance to meet you and for breach of contract after the Seattle the two or three occasions when I testified, to get firsthand experience into your Pilots left town in 1969. most of the time Scoop was the only one operations and that of your committee. Jackson’s Republican rival in the there. It wasn’t a big deal, and nobody I can only say that I have been most 1970 election was State Representative else showed up. I remembered that when favorably impressed and hope that we Charlie Ellicker of Bainbridge Island. I was on the other side of the dais and will be able to meet again soon.” In Sometime just before the election, KCTS sometimes I’d go into these hearings just so another letter that week to Jerry Verk- television invited Senate candidates to these poor people who’d spent all the time ler, the staff director for the Committee present their message in 30 seconds of preparing for this would know that more on Interior and Insular Affairs, Gorton free airtime, including an introduction. than one senator was paying any kind of wrote that his experience working with Ellicker asked Attorney General Gor- attention to what they did! But Scoop was the committee “has made me appreciate ton to introduce him. “I didn’t want to,” out-of-his-way gracious in those things, the entire system and the way it works recalled Gorton, “but I did. All I said was, and extremely impressive. far more than I could have without hav- ‘This is a great guy, and he’d make a great ing experienced both the frustrations United States senator.’” Jackson ultimately introduced Sen- and triumphs of the last five years.” Ellicker received 16 percent of ate Bill 231 to amend the 1964 act. The the vote on election day. Despite the amendment captured the attention of orton rose to become insignificance of Gorton’s introduc- Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall. majority leader of the tion for Ellicker, Jackson apparently Udall wrote to Jackson on September 9 Washington State House took note of that gesture and shunned that even if Congress didn’t amend the of Representatives in 1967, Gorton: “Scoop was angry that I had 1964 Scrip Act, the Interior Depart- which positioned him well done that. And we went most of the ment would offer scrip lands somewhere Gfor statewide elected office. When Demo- next [10] years without having any between fair market value and 10 per- crat Attorney General John J. O’Connell relationship at all, which was a real cent above fair market value. Green­ challenged Republican Governor Dan disappointment to me.” acres was satisfied with Udall’s resolu- Evans in the 1968 election, Gorton For the next decade, when Gorton tion. Udall approved the Greenacres sought the attorney general’s office. He was visiting Washington, DC, he spent scrip claim in February 1966. won and served for the next 12 years, far more time paying courtesy calls to Magnuson than to Jackson. “Magnu- son was always gracious when I went to Washington, DC, . . . he’d always make time to have a chat.” In the years after his first experience with the Senate in Jackson’s subcommit- tee hearing room, Gorton thought more and more about the prospect of becoming a senator himself. He thought of running for the Senate in 1976 should Jackson decline reelection or win the Democratic presidential nomination. Jackson stayed in the race and won 75 percent of the vote. When it came to Gorton’s choice about which giant of the Senate to slay,

LEFT: Henry M. Jackson and Warren Magnuson—known to many as “Scoop and Maggie”—served Washington together in the US Senate for 27 years. FACING PAGE: Slade Gorton, 1969, during his tenure as Washington’s

University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections, #UW19599 Collections, Special Libraries, Washington of University attorney general.

COLUMBIA 6 SPRING 2015 When Gorton challenged Magnuson in 1980, his campaign message was carefully calculated to honor the senior senator for his past service while making the case for fresh blood. there was little question that Magnuson distinction in the state, their styles, and The legislative partnership of the was the more vulnerable. even their political orientations some- two Senators was most notable on Jack- When Gorton challenged Magnu- times created a subtle conflict. “And there son’s Boeing 747 amendment to the son in 1980, his campaign message was was certainly a rivalry there,” in Gorton’s 1982 defense bill and Gorton’s Shipping carefully calculated to honor the state’s assessment. “I probably got along with Act of 1983, both of which concerned senior senator for his past service while Jackson better than he got along with Washington state interests. The 1982

making the case for fresh blood. Mag- Courtesy Washington State Archives defense bill included a $17.3 billion pro- nuson had had his day, but now he was curement allowance for the Air Force, too old—and increasingly ineffective. including a multi-billion-dollar alloca- The results came early on election tion for new Lockheed C-5 Transports. night, and it was good news for Wash- Jackson, with Gorton’s close collabora- ington state Republicans all around. tion, proposed an amendment to strike Ronald Reagan included Washington the C-5 section entirely and instead in his column, John Spellman won the allocate $350 million for the “procure- governor’s mansion, and Slade Gorton ment of the most cost-effective com- defeated Warren Magnuson. Minutes mercial wide-body cargo aircraft.” In after Gorton learned of his victory, he other words, commercially pre-owned took a congratulatory call from Jackson. Boeing 747s could save the country “And not only did he congratulate me, money—up to $6 billion—in a time of he said, ‘Can we get together for lunch economic hardship. next week?’” So ended the decade of The proposal was controversial. distance between Jackson and Gorton. “The whole establishment was against After Gorton was sworn in, Jackson us,” Gorton recalled. Democratic sena- hosted a reception for his new fellow tor Sam Nunn of Georgia, a member senator. In his thank you note to Jack- of the Armed Services Committee, led son, Gorton wrote about his family’s Maggie. Now, it wouldn’t have been as the fight for the C-5 program. Accord- newfound appreciation for Jackson. close, because they were together all the ing to an April 16, 1982, article in the “You made great fans out of all of them,” time and . . . always the honorary cam- Washington Post, the program would he wrote, adding, “I’m delighted to have paign chairman for one another, but their create 8,500 jobs at Lockheed’s Mari- you as my senior colleague and look views on things and their personalities etta plant. In January, Secretary of forward to working together construc- were radically different.” Defense Caspar Weinberger decided tively for a long time in the future.” The second thing that made Jack- against the 747 concept. son and Gorton good friends was their Jackson stated his request for an wo things made the per- similar styles. Both were interested in explanation of Weinberger’s decision at sonal relationship between the nuances of policy, both had been an Armed Services Committee hearing Gorton and Jackson stron- trained and began their careers in the on February 22. Weinberger wrote to ger than the more famous law, and both were deeply read. “And Jackson the following week that the C-5 partnership between Mag- I was much closer to Jackson in that, had superior military capability, easier Tnuson and Jackson. The first factor more academic I guess one could say, loading capacity, more troop space, and that strengthened the friendship was, more interested in ideas. So it was a superior air refueling capability. Jackson ironically, their party difference. “My ob- great relationship.” was not persuaded. “I am disturbed by the servation of the Senate in general is that In the Senate, Jackson regularly methodology by which the department very frequently the two senators from the passed along books, articles, and lists of arrived at its decision,” Jackson replied same state get along better when they’re readings to Gorton. Sometimes Jackson on March 19. That same day, at a hearing from opposite parties,” Gorton said, “sim- would emphasize the importance of read- of the Armed Services Subcommittee on ply because they don’t share constituen- ing selections by giving them directly to Sea Power and Force Projection, Jackson cies, to a great deal. They aren’t both sort Gorton’s wife Sally. On occasion, Jack- raised a lengthy list of questions about of maneuvering to be the number one guy son took Sally Gorton to lunch in the the C-5 proposal. in the party when they’re home.” Senate dining room. Sally Gorton and Jackson, Gorton, and the power- Much as Scoop and Maggie were Jackson’s wife Helen quickly struck up a ful Boeing lobby lined up a coalition a political team, their competition for friendship of their own. behind the 747 program. Bankers,

COLUMBIA 7 SPRING 2015 Campaign Still, the Pentagon was stubborn. materials for Secretary Weinberger was slow in get- Washington State ting started with the 747 program. Attorney General Finally, on May 2, 1983, Weinberger Slade Gorton’s gave in. As a preliminary step, he agreed 1980 US Senate to buy and test three used 747s. Gorton campaign. Gorton said in a press statement that the agree- prevailed over 36- year incumbent ment was “less than we had hoped for. Warren Magnuson But, now the military will be able to see and went on to firsthand how useful the 747 can be in serve three terms. transporting cargo.” Apparently hoping to exploit Jack- FACING PAGE: son’s advancing age—as Gorton had Sally and Slade Gorton with beaten the elderly Magnuson two “Scoop” and years earlier—36-year-old Seattle City Helen Jackson, Attorney Doug Jewett challenged April 21, 1982. Jackson in 1982. Backed by a quarter million dollars from the Republican Senatorial Campaign Commit- tee, Jewett ran attack ads align- ing Jackson with unemploy- ment and the global nuclear

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Courtesy Washington State Archives 0 8 while, Jackson had more 2 resources than he needed; his campaign raised $2 mil- lion by election day and cruised to an easy victory. Gorton was hardly mentioned in press coverage of the 1982 campaign. And it was a good thing too. Gorton was a close friend of Jewett’s, but his airplane manufacturing subcontractors, Defense Appropriation Subcommit- friendship with Jackson was not a thing and airlines joined. For Boeing, the tee rejected the reprogramming pro- to be played with. Gorton made several legislation meant a major boost after a posal. Constituents wrote letters of obligatory appearances at Jewett rallies, significant decline in domestic orders. thanks to their senators for the suc- but “selfishly, I was very fortunate that For the military and for the taxpayers, cessful passage of the 747 amendment. it wasn’t a real campaign.” Even so, the it was a win-win situation. “For haul- One letter to Jackson attesting to campaigning that year was “uncomfort- ing oversize and bulk cargo, commer- the superiority of the 747 came from able” for Gorton. However, Jackson cial wide-body cargo aircraft are less a Boeing manufacturing supervisor, didn’t seem bothered by his colleague’s costly to buy, less costly to operate, less Air Force veteran, and “a somewhat partisanship this time. costly to maintain, more reliable, more conservative taxpayer” who “must capable, and immediately available,” demand from every dollar of our s a freshman mem- Jackson argued on the floor of the Sen- Defense Budget, a dollar’s worth of ber of the Senate Com- ate on May 13. return on my expenditure.” Said Gor- merce Committee, Gor- Thanks to Jackson’s political talent ton, “That was [the] first, almost equal ton was last in line when and Gorton’s assistance, the amend- partnership we had on a major issue it came to subcommit- ment passed on May 13, 60–39. A in the time I was there, and it was all Atee picks. Only one remained: the few weeks later, Lockheed advo- kinds of fun, between his reputation Merchant Marine Subcommittee. “So cates renewed their campaign for and authority in the field of defense I took it—without any background a more modest allocation of $97.7 and my being one of the new major- in merchant marine at all, or any million for the C-5. The Senate ity—and pretty outspoken.” great interest in the subject.” Gorton

COLUMBIA 8 SPRING 2015 It was in July 1983, two and a half years into their partnership in the Senate, that Gorton and Jackson spoke on opposite sides of an issue for the first time.

spent the next two years learning Ohio Democrat Howard Metzenbaum Jackson was so focused on foreign policy everything he could about it, and by threatened a filibuster. that he rarely spoke up about domestic 1982 he was ready to push for passage Gorton reintroduced the bill as matters. So it was in July, two and a half of major revisions to the US Code on Senate Bill 47 in the Commerce Com- years into their partnership, that Gorton Merchant Marine Law. mittee in 1983, where it passed unani- and Jackson spoke on opposite sides of Gorton’s Shipping Act of 1982, mously. Gorton’s coalition included an issue for the first time. Afterwards, Senate Bill 1593, would allow ocean various shipping-related groups, the Gorton went to Jackson’s desk and said, common carriers to fix shipping rates Port of Seattle, the freight forwarders, “‘Scoop, do you realize that that last in order to allow US flag carriers to bet- and the Northwest Horticulture Asso- little amendment was the first time you ter compete with foreign competitors. ciation. With help from Jackson, the and I ever spoke on opposite sides of the Price fixing was the norm of global ship- bill passed through Congress in March same issue?’ And he just leaned back and ping. In exchange for allowing carriers 1983. It was the first major legislation laughed.” Shortly after that, the Senate to fix their rates, Congress would cut Gordon shepherded into law. adjourned for its August recess. subsidies to shipping lines. Opponents Though Jackson and Gorton voted claimed that price fixing would raise quite differently on domestic issues, they ackson never returned to the prices for consumers. The bill died after agreed most of the time on foreign policy. Senate. On the morning of Septem- ber 1, Gorton took a call from Jack- son, freshly returned from a visit J to Asia. “We had a nice, substan- tive conversation,” Gorton recalled. That night, Jackson died suddenly of a heart attack. “It’s hard for me to say that I ever had a better relationship with any other sena- tor than with Scoop,” said Gorton. Yet Gorton is careful to distinguish between friendship and mentorship. It was Repub- licans Howard Baker (Tennessee) and Mark Hatfield (Oregon) who became Gorton’s “absolute role models of what a senator ought to look like and act like.” Jackson “became a very close friend. But I can’t say that he was a mentor. There would be too many differences between us to fall into that category.” While Gorton and Jackson were very much their own men with their own policy views, on opposite sides of the partisan aisle, they were able to form a deep friendship and working partner- ship during their two and a half years together as Washington’s senators. This partnership may not have been as long or fruitful as that of Scoop and Maggie, but it demonstrates the possibilities of genuine friendship and real bipartisan- ship in American politics.❧

Hans Zeiger is an author and local historian from Puyallup. He currently serves as state

UW Libraries, Special Collections, #UW28890 Collections, Special UW Libraries, representative for the 25th Legislative District.

COLUMBIA 9 SPRING 2015