Doc Bowen and Shifting Politics Legendary Career Was Shaped by Razor Thin Wins & Changing Politics by BRIAN A
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V18, N35 Thursday, May 9, 2013 Doc Bowen and shifting politics Legendary career was shaped by razor thin wins & changing politics By BRIAN A. HOWEY INDIANAPOLIS – Perhaps the most inspiring part of Doc Bowen’s legacy is that between 1946 and 1972 he delivered 3,000 Hoosier babies when he was the small town family physician in Bremen. The future Indiana governor would say that having his hands on so many emerging lives taught him “how to approach emergencies and problems with a certain amount of calmness and common sense.” Bowen’s political career as Marshall County coroner, state repre- sentative, Speaker of the House, Indi- ana governor and then U.S. Health and Human Services secretary gave an array A celebratory Speaker Otis “Doc” Bowen clasps the hand of Gov. Edgar Whitcomb at the of portals for him to impact these lives, 1972 Indiana Republican Convention. Four years before, Whitcomb had defeated Bowen. from the delivery room to the morgue. His political and subsequent policy reach, however, brought plishment” and worth pondering one more time in the wake tax relief to 6 million Hoosiers, and as the capstone of of his passing at age 95 on May 4. his career, what he believed would be catastrophic health While his tax reforms of 1973 lasted a generation insurance for millions of Americans. until the gradual revenue, housing, industrial and popula- It was, as Doc Bowen put it, his “greatest accom- Continued on page 3 Doc always remained Doc By JACK COLWELL SOUTH BEND – Even as governor of Indiana and then in Washington as a member of President Reagan’s Cabinet, Otis R. Bowen remained “Doc” Bowen, never “That young girl was my mother, pretentious, always with the same friendly, caring ways of his years as and if she had gone to Kalamazoo a family doctor in Bremen. that night, you wouldn’t be Maybe Doc wouldn’t fit in with politics today. reading this today. I would have But I think he would, and politics would be better for it. been aborted.” Doc was mild mannered. - U.S. Rep. Marlin Stutzman His style in politics was low-key persuasion rather than bombastic HOWEY Politics Indiana Page 2 Weekly Briefing on Indiana Politics Thursday, May 9, 2013 partisan threats or arm-twisting. It some humanism and integrity to gov- is a mistake to think, however, that ernment.” he didn’t get things done. He won a He could be stubborn when he www.HoweyPolitics.com tough battle in his first months as gov- thought - as he did with his tax relief ernor for passage of a major property plan - that he was doing something tax relief program. It was to become that was right for Hoosiers. Howey Politics highly popular, as were many other And of course he did prevail. Indiana Bowen initiatives that made him one More than one of the reluc- is a non-partisan newsletter of the most popular governors in state tant legislators finally providing the history. needed votes for the plan to pass said based in Indianapolis and I wrote once about a con- afterward: “I just couldn’t vote against Nashville, Ind. It was founded versation with Doc in the governor’s Doc.” in 1994 in Fort Wayne. office as it appeared that his tax relief He did it his way. The way of It is published by plan was doomed. Since his plan for a friendly, caring family doctor from WWWHowey Media, LLC needed property tax cuts involved a Bremen who so often had the right sales tax increase to fund the property diagnosis, the right prescription. 405 Massachusetts Ave., tax relief, he was attacked as a “big Doc was often underes- Suite 300 taxer” by a right-wing group buying timated by political opponents who Indianapolis, IN 46204 advertisements and in Indianapolis thought he was too mild-mannered newspaper editorials and cartoons. to win anything. Relying on speaking Brian A. Howey, Publisher Bowen told me he would not common sense and facts rather than give up and would not compromise on partisan vilification and distortions, Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington something that wouldn’t work. and on determination, he would win. Jack E. Howey, Editor “I’m getting a little aggra- It would be hard to bet against him Matthew Butler, Daily Wire vated,” he said, which was about as even in the current political climate. strong as Doc ever got in his lan- Doc wouldn’t change. But guage. someone like him could help to change Subscriptions Would he resort finally to use the climate. v $599 annually of threats of patronage firings to sway Ray Volpe, Account Manager wavering legislators? Colwell has covered Indiana ' 317.602.3620 “That is not good govern- politics over five decades for the email: [email protected] ment,” Bowen said. “That is poor South Bend Tribune. government. We’re trying to restore Contact HPI www.howeypolitics.com [email protected] Revealing Bowen anectdotes 'Howey’s Cabin: 812.988.6520 By GERRY LaFOLLETTE sion, my first for the old Indianapolis 'Howey’s cell: 317.506.0883 INDIANAPOLIS – Sometimes Times. Why it was his second and not 'Washington: 202-256-5822 an anecdote reveals as much or more his third hangs the tale. 'Business Office: 317.602.3620 about a person’s In 1956, Doc was finishing a character as a term as Marshall County coroner and © 2013, Howey Politics Indiana. list of accom- was elected to the Indiana House. Two All rights reserved. Photocopy- plishments. years later, he lost reelection by four I first met votes out of 14,588 (as Casey Stengel ing, Internet forwarding, fax- Otis “Doc” used to say, you can look it up). ing or reproducing in any form, Bowen in 1961 I have covered my share whole or part, is a violation of during the bien- of elections for the Times and later federal law without permission nial legislative the Indianapolis News and I can say from the publisher. v session. It was four votes is definitely grounds for a his second ses- recount. HOWEY Politics Indiana Page 3 Weekly Briefing on Indiana Politics Thursday, May 9, 2013 Doc said no. He trusted fellow county folks to have Then Lugar learned that Doc was not sitting on the done a fair job in the first place. bill, that, in fact, Doc had put it at the bottom of the stack The second story is a bit more involved and reveal- of Senate bills, letting it rise to the top in due time. Two ing. In the 1969 biennial session, the major piece of leg- significant developments ensued, revealing much about islation of the Marion County Republican organization was both men. Mayor Lugar called an afternoon press confer- huge. It became known as “Unigov” and it combined many ence to admit his mistake, to apologize and note that Doc aspects of city and county government . was following his usual procedure. Lugar refused to blame It was first introduced in the Senate where the anyone else for the false information. Second, at the same vote was tight, 26-18. Six did not vote, including the father time, Doc did not get mad or react in a vindictive manner. of today’s House Speaker Brian Bosma. Then it went to the The bill passed the House easily and changed the House. nature of Indianapolis and Indiana politics for more than a Among those pushing the bill was then Mayor Rich- third of a century. v ard G. Lugar. Somehow, someway, Lugar was told that Doc was sitting on the bill. Lugar held a morning press confer- LaFollette retired after more than 30 years of cover- ence to denounce the stalling tactic. He gave out Doc’s of- ing Indiana politics for the Indianapolis Times and fice phone number. More than 1,000 calls came in running the Indianapolis News. 9 to 1 against the bill. Marion County Republican Chairman L. Keith Bulen. On the Doc Bowen, from page 1 first ballot, the two men were tied at 33 apiece. On the second ballot, Bowen won, with speculation tion changes prompted Gov. Frank O’Bannon and Lt. Gov. that Reps. Ray Crowe and Charles Bosma were the ones to Joe Kernan to revamp the Indiana system in 2002, Bowen’s shift votes. Crowe would tell author Stanley Huseland that “greatest accomplishment” was a fleeting one. Within this he voted for Bowen on both bal- riveting three-year window when lots. he served President Reagan Current House Speaker as HHS secretary, from 1985 Brian Bosma confirmed that his through 1989, many of the seeds father was the tie-breaker on of political division that torment behalf of Bowen. “Yes he was,” us today were sown, literally Speaker Bosma told HPI. “Doc under his out-sized political foot- and Charlie spoke of that vote print. on many occasions with my Dad Bowen was no stranger saying it was one of the hard- to political adversity. First elected est and best votes he ever cast. to the Indiana House in 1956, he That vote cemented their long was defeated for reelection by friendship and began their col- four votes, and refused a recount laboration on a number of issues, because he didn’t want to be including my Dad’s deciding vote seen as a “crybaby.” A 92-year- on Doc’s property tax cut when old supporter died the day before he was in the Senate and Doc the election and her large fam- Bowen with State Rep. Charles Bosma, whose vote was governor.” ily didn’t make it to the polls.