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John Erlenborn: An Appreciation
Rich Galen Friday November 4, 2005
From The Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Assn
Napa, California
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Last week I stared at the ceiling while lying in my bed and blinked back tears for being the shallow, self-absorbed person I am.
John Erlenborn died last week and I had not spoken to him, much less visited with him, nor taken him to lunch for at least decade.
John Erlenborn was a Congressman from the western suburbs of Chicago - Dupage County, Illinois. And he was my first boss in Washington.
Dupage County, in those days, was the most Republican county in the nation. Mr. Erlenborn never drew more than token opposition in his campaigns, but he never missed an opportunity to go home and visit with his constituents.
There has been a great deal of discussion about the loss of civility in Washington generally, and in the Congress in particular.
If that is so - and it is - it is because men like John Erlenborn (and, by the way, his classmate as a freshman in Congress in 1965, George Herbert Walker Bush) are no longer there.
When, today, Members of Congress refer to each other as "the gentleman from" somewhere or another it is a matter of rote courtesy.
John Erlenborn truly was a gentleman. His life-long friend and now Federal Judge Bill Bauer used the word, "foursquare" when he described Mr. Erlenborn in an AP obituary the other day.
Foursquare. Perfect.
We used to tease him that we knew when he was at ease in his office in the Rayburn House Office Building because we would find him sitting behind his desk with his jacket � unbuttoned.
If you go to the Secret Decoder Ring page, I'll tell you how I got my job with Mr. Erlenborn.
Mr. Erlenborn was one of the original authors of ERISA (the Employee Retirement Income Security Act) - the law which covers pensions in the United States. As more and more large corporations are using the bankruptcy laws to dodge their pension obligations, it would be extremely useful to have Mr. Erlenborn around to remind Congress what protections he had in mind when he and New York Senator Jacob Javits (among others) wrote that law.
But, he will not be.
If politicians today are known for their sharp elbows to get themselves in front of television cameras to comment on every thing, every day; Mr. Erlenborn was the anti-politician. He had no elbows.
He came from an era where Republicans and Democrats could have a cocktail in their offices off the Floor waiting for a vote. An era they could - and would - argue their point-of-view with vigor and flair, but never with personal malice or cruelty.
He was a marvelous cook. After a day of fishing for bluefish on the Chesapeake Bay, Mr. Erlenborn gave me a piece of culinary advice I have never forgotten: If it tastes good, it will taste better with butter and garlic.
John Erlenborn died as he lived. With class and with dignity. He is one of those people who, the moment they are gone, you are astounded at how much you miss them.
Rest well, Mr. Erlenborn. I miss you a great deal.
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On the Secret Decoder Ring page today: The full story about how I got my first job, a link to the Simon & Garfunkle lyrics, a Mullfoto and a Catchy Caption of the Day.
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Copyright © 2005 Richard A. Galen
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