FOCUS: REMEMBERING JACK KEMP
Jack Kemp remembered as 'the eternal optimist'
Friends and colleagues recall Kemp as a tough competitor whose passion, whether it be on the playing field or in politics, distinguished him from others
Jack Kemp is today remembered in many ways following his Saturday death from cancer — Buffalo Bills quarterback, Western New York congressman, Cabinet secretary and vice presidential candidate.
But those who knew him best recall him as a unique figure who transferred his competitive spirit from the football field to the political arena, distinguishing himself from all the others by his passion for ideas.
“There wasn’t a mean streak in his body,” said former County Executive Edward J. Rutkowski, a former Kemp congressional aide and longtime pal. “You had to beat him on the field of ideas, and that was pretty tough to do.”
Kemp, 73, died Saturday in his Bethesda, Md., home. He announced in January that he was under treatment for cancer.
Rutkowski said Sunday that despite a vigorous regimen of chemotherapy and radiation at Johns Hopkins University medical facilities in Baltimore and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, even Kemp the competitor could no longer stave off the disease.
“I just talked to him [April 25],” Rutkowski said. “The radiation and chemotherapy had affected his vocal cords, but he was in good spirits—Jack the eternal optimist. His last word to me, just like always, was, ‘Adios.’ ”
Russ Gugino, another former Kemp congressional aide, called him a “special kind of fellow” who eschewed personal politics for an approach honed by years of study, discussion and debate.
“He wasn’t interested in personal bickering but in the clash of ideas; that’s what made him different,” Gugino said, pointing to Kemp’s devotion to tax cutting and its economic effects on the nation.
“His Kemp-Roth [tax cut] bill changed the whole landscape of Republican politics because it put supply-side economics beyond theory,” Gugino said. “It was all about promoting entrepreneurship and economic growth.
“He was evangelizing that message when it was not popular at all,” he added. “He wasn’t afraid to go against the tide.”
Rutkowski and Gugino noted that a special dinner had been scheduled May 13 in Washington to honor Kemp and raise funds for the center he founded at California’s Pepperdine University to house his government papers and foster economic study. Former President Bill Clinton was slated to be the event’s main speaker. Clinton ran with vice presidential candidate Al Gore in 1996 against a Republican ticket of former Sen. Bob Dole for president and Kemp for vice president. The May 13 dinner is now postponed.
Rutkowski, the former county executive, said he recalled Kemp returning from Washington one Friday night to join him in his Hamburg home to talk about the Kemp-Roth tax cut.
“That became the genesis for the Reagan Revolution,” Rutkowski said. “And that’s going to be his legacy.”
Indeed, similar thoughts were expressed Sunday by Democrats and Republicans alike. President Obama’s statement headed a long list of tributes that pointed to a commitment to public service and a passion for politics that influenced “not only the direction of his party, but his country.”
“From his tenure as a Buffalo congressman to his ascent in national politics, Jack Kemp was a man who could fiercely advocate his own beliefs and principles while also remembering the lessons he learned years earlier on the football field: that bitter divisiveness between race and class and station only stood in the way of the ‘common aim of a team to win,’ ” Obama said. “Michelle and I extend our prayers and deepest condolences to the entire Kemp family.”
Gov. David A. Paterson recalled the California native as a true New Yorker.
“He epitomized Theodore Roosevelt’s ‘Man in the Arena,’ providing ideas and taking action on issues important to the Buffalo area, New York State and the nation,” Paterson said. “Mr. Kemp will be forever linked to Western New York, and we will remember his many years of dedicated service.”
State Republican Chairman Joseph N. Mondello called him a “political giant,” while former President George
W. Bush said he “will be remembered for his significant contributions to the Reagan Revolution and his steadfast dedication to conservative principles as secretary of housing and urban development.”
Dole, who chose Kemp as his running mate in the 1996 election, called him “an eternal optimist who was always searching for solutions that would help the American people.”
“We lost, but Jack’s enthusiasm and his willingness to reach out to Americans everywhere made the race an exciting one,” Dole said.
Many of those who weighed in Sunday on Kemp’s death recalled the 18 years Kemp spent as a congressman from Western New York. Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N. Y., said Kemp had a “profound effect on Buffalo and the country.”
During those years Kemp worked closely with former Democratic Reps. Henry J. Nowak of Buffalo and John J. LaFalce of the Town of Tonawanda. Nowak called him a “good friend” who passionately fought for his economic theories.
LaFalce recalled him as a “class act” and echoed admiration for his devotion to ideas.
“I remember being called at home late one Friday night and Jack telling me he was having a press conference the next morning and I HAD to be there,” LaFalce said of Kemp’s willingness to share the limelight. “Of all the Western New York area members I served with, he was the easiest to work with. I am still honored that Jack asked me to be a speaker at his Western New York retirement dinner.”
And Rep. Chris Lee, R-Clarence, who holds the seat Kemp once occupied in the House, noted that Kemp’s “standing as one of the great Buffalo Bills of all time is often mentioned after his work as a reformer and great statesman.”
“That is a testament to his prolific accomplishments and the incredible legacy of service to our nation he leaves behind,” Lee said.
The Buffalo Bills, who enshrined Kemp on its Ralph Wilson Stadium Wall of Fame and retired his number 15, called him a “legendary figure in our team’s history.”
“His many outstanding and unique qualities made him the exemplary role model of leadership for our team and later for our country,” the team said in a statement. “While today’s news brings us much sadness, we cherish the many fond memories of Jack the loving husband and father, Jack the quarterback, and Jack the congressman, and we celebrate his life well lived.”
A spokesman for the family said services will be private.
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