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Thursday, March 18, 2004 Volume 10, Number 30 Page 1 of 8 he History finds Orr T a strong governor Howey Like Eisenhower, retrospect redeems By BRIAN A. HOWEY in Indianapolis A proper parallel to the administration of the late Gov. Robert D. Orr can be made with that of President Political Dwight David Eisenhower, even though their respective administrations came three decades apart. The more time history separates us from their eight years in office, the bet- Report ter Orr and Eisenhower look. When the first histories of Orr and Eisenhower were The Howey Political Report is published by NewsLink written, both were somewhat eclipsed by either their prede- Inc. Founded in 1994, The Howey Political Report is cessors and successors, or in Orr’s case, both. Both men an independent, non-partisan newsletter analyzing the political process in Indiana. were succeeded by young Democrats -- John F. Kennedy and Evan Bayh -- who offered a generational contrast. Orr and Brian A. Howey, publisher Eisenhower were viewed more as “old guard.” as they left Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington writer office. Gov. Orr was an “often-underrated governor,” said Jack E. Howey, editor Senate President Robert Garton, because he followed the popular Otis Bowen (Louisville Courier-Journal). “He was The Howey Political Report Office: 317-254-1533 PO Box 40265 Fax: 317-968-0487 an extraordinary governor,” Garton offered. Indianapolis, IN 46240-0265 Mobile: 317-506-0883 We agree. [email protected] Think back to when Gov. Orr won election in 1980 www.howeypolitics.com and took office the following January. Northwest Indiana’s steel industry and the auto manufacturing sector were in Washington office: 202-775-3242; Business Office: 317-254-0535. deep atrophy. In places such as Elkhart, New Castle, Anderson and Kokomo, the harsh realities were oil embar- Subscriptions: $350 annually via e-mail; goes created by OPEC and the Iranian hostage crisis. The $550 annually including the HPR Daily economies of many of Indiana’s mid-sized cities were too Wire. Call 317-254-1533 or 254-0535. reliant on one or two industries and the battle cry was for © 2004, The Howey Political Report. All rights diversification. reserved. Photocopying, Internet forwarding, faxing or Orr was elected riding the landslide of Ronald reproducing in any form, in whole or in part, is a viola- Reagan, though he would have won in his own right. Four tion of federal law and is strictly prohibited without years later, Orr defeated State Sen. Wayne Townsend by only consent of the publisher. 100,000 votes and that seemed to rob Orr of some of his political luster. After the 1980 election, America and Indiana were almost in a depression and what President Carter had “It basically boiled down to the legislature not described as a “malaise.” It took nearly three years to shake off that feeling. wanting to undo what they had accomplished The 1982 elections found Republican leaders such as in their minds. I don’t know if it was out of President Reagan trying to rally their base, urging them to “stay the course.” Orr found his political base erroding due embarrassment that we went too far, but there to, in part, state revenue streams that had dwindled to the point that following the November elections he had to reveal did not seem to be any desire to fix what we a huge deficit and the need for a December special session did.” - State Rep. Jeff Espich, on SB1 that resulted in record tax increases. Opponents charged the Thursday, March 18, 2004 Page 2 of 8 Orr with hiding the news until after the many historians’ top 10 presidencies. election. Gov. Orr’s second term did the “It was a bad situation,” Orr aide same for him. “Bob was a risk-taker,” said John Hammond III told the Louisville former aide Kendall W. Cochran. “He was Courier-Journal. “Our unemployment rate not afraid to raise taxes if it meant better was extremely high -- 18 percent in many education.” CBS/NYT POLL HAS BUSH auto communities. Interest rates were Following the release of a nation- UP BY 3, BUT 54 PERCENT going in the wrong direction. It was a al report,“America At Risk,” in 1986, SEE WRONG DIRECTION: tough time. He had to slog through it, and Gov. Orr responded with the most far- The New York Times/CBS he did with great determination.” News poll offered the latest reaching education reforms in Hoosier evidence that the race for In 1984, Orr found himself under history. “Gov. Orr was a visionary for president was as tight as attack from the spirited Sen. Townsend, school reform when he implemented the has long been predicted. whose “Go get ‘em Wayne” radio and TV A+ program in 1987,” explained Supt. Even after two weeks in ads were clever. What saved Orr and Suellen Reed. “Many of the components which Bush has run tele- Reagan were the 1981 federal tax cuts that of A+ remain in effect and are contribut- vised advertisements pro- gave existing technologies (cell phones, ing to higher student academic achieve- moting himself and attack- fax machines, home computers) enough ment.” ing Kerry, the two men are capital to bring them to market. Those included the increase of effectively tied, with President Reagan’s 1984 re-elect the school calendar from 175 to 180 President Bush leading 46- theme was “Morning in America.” Gov. 43 percent. The candidacy instructional days, the creation of the of Ralph Nader looms as a Orr presiding over what was decribed as a Performance-Based Accreditation system potentially lethal threat to “rust belt” state had a rougher go of it, but for public schools, the ISTEP program Democratic hopes of regain- ultimately persevered. and the proficiencies which today have ing the White House: With The seeds of success that his for- become Indiana's academic standards. Nader in the race, Bush mer aides sought to highlight Tuesday, The searing difference between leads Kerry by 46 percent to when his funeral cortege left the what occurred in 1987 with A-Plus and 38 percent, with Nader Statehouse through the “finished” South today is that not only was there an activist drawing 7 percent of the entry included the RCA Dome and the governor in place who avoided the biggest votes. By a margin of Indiana Convention Center, and with the greater than 30 points, more political sin - not squandering political motorcade passing the Government people said the policies of capital - but Orr had intellectual partners Bush's administration had Centers and the White River State Park. in the General Assembly like Stan Jones, reduced the number of jobs “He would be the last to suggest Marilyn Schultz and Phil Warner who in the country rather than that all these happened solely due to his understood what was at stake and acted. It increased them. Those find- effort,” said Chief Justice Randall was more than today’s turf protection, ings could prove particular- Shepard. “But for three decades he has preserving of power and retribution. ly significant if the election been a force for rebuilding the center of Passed by emotional and narrow is fought over economic Indiana such that we might say with Carl margins in the Indiana House in the spring issues in hard-hit states like Sandburg, ‘nothing like it ever was.’” Ohio. Perhaps most signifi- of 1987, Orr raised taxes. Politically, it cant for Bush, the number was probably the last opportunity for a of Americans who think the Orr’s second term governor to do so. In the 1988 presidential nation is heading in the It was Gov. Orr’s second term that campaign, Vice President George H.W. wrong direction is now 54 has prompted an Eisenhower-like histori- Bush ushered in a new era (“Read my percent, as high as it has cal resurgence. In Ike’s case, the building lips: No new taxes”) which has echoed been in his presidency. of the interstate system, his identification sharply from the lips and actions of every of the military-industrial complex (which, Hoosier governor since, and with vastly LUGAR URGES NCLB by the way, is still with us), furthering different results (i.e. the repeated defeat of FUNDING RESTORATION: President Truman’s containment of the full-day kindergarten). U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar is urging fellow congressional Soviet Union, and the fact that he avoided Economist Morton Marcus three wars (Suez, Hungary, Vietnam) has, observed, “I clearly recall how he stood Continued on page 3 in retrospect, placed the former general in before a 1987 audience at Arsenal Tech Page 3 of 8 Thursday, March 18, 2004 High School in Indianapolis and admitted who did not accept the need for Indiana to that he had not given sufficient attention take strong, dramatic steps to advance the to education in his prior years in office.” economy.” Chief Justice Shepard observed, As we all know, the diagnosis Orr “It certainly did represent a great leap for- delivered almost 25 years ago and today’s ward, but it did something else. It made reality (i.e. Thomson eliminating 990 every governor's race since a debate about jobs) was uncanny and prophetic, particu- leaders to restore funding improving education.” A debate with no larly after Kernan announced record to a program he believes is money. During Tuesday’s funeral, Hoosier exports last week. a key component of the Cochran observed, “It was never about sweeping No Child Left Bob Orr. It was about the guy he was Behind education reform ‘Hello, this is Gov. Orr’ (Indianapolis Star).

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