by Alex Marshall, Editor, Spotlight on the Region
The brimming glasses of Guinness served at the reception for the new exhibit, "New York's Moynihan," at the Museum of the City of New York were most welcome. After two hours of rousing praises, I imagine even the Senator himself would have welcomed a bit of a respite.
There was no doubting the sincerity of the nine panelists that sat across the stage at the New York Academy of Medicine, all of whom had known or worked closely with Daniel Patrick Moynihan, the late four-term senator, social scientist, Nixon aide, former ambassador to India, and representative to the United Nations. They praised the usually bow-tied New Yorker of Irish descent for the depth and range of his impact in four decades of public life, and the wisdom of his stances. NBC Washington bureau chief Tim Russert, who began his career as an aide to Moynihan in the early 1970s, led the discussion and apparently gathered many of the panelists there.
Architect David Childs praised the champion of urbanism and architecture, who redeveloped Pennsylvania Avenue in the nation's capital and won money for a new Pennsylvania Station in New York, which is set to be renamed Moynihan Station (see Spotlight 48). Conservative columnist George Will praised the neo-conservative and backer of strong families. Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne praised the neo-liberal who believed in using government to solve problems, and who had "the luck to lose the right races," like the one for president of the New York City council in 1965. U.S. judge Robert Katzmann, who also edited the new book on sale at the event, Daniel Patrick Moynihan: The Intellectual in Public Life, praised the defender of international law.
Harvard professor emeritus Nathan Glazer, who co-authored Beyond the Melting Pot with Moynihan, praised the scholar who shook up the establishment with his analysis of the black family. Scholar Stephen Hess, an aide to President Nixon, praised the savvy teacher, who tutored Nixon so well in domestic policy that Nixon can be called "the last liberal president" because of all the big government initiatives he signed into law, including the Environmental Protection Agency, the Clean Air Act and many others. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-Queens/Manhattan), praised the politician, who could focus on broad sweeping policy issues, like re-engineering federal transportation to provide more funding for mass transit and break the grip of highway builders on federal gas tax revenues. She noted the virtuosity of a political leader who could dramatically alter spending formulas across the country, even as he brought home the bacon for the Second Avenue Subway, which he dearly supported. (As does Maloney, who along with Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields, was omitted from an otherwise excellent story on the progress of Second Avenue in the current New York Magazine).
After two hours of this, Russert ended the event by asking the entire audience to stand and give "a rousing cheer for Daniel Patrick Moynihan." The audience, which was packed with family and friends and included his widow Elizabeth and daughter Maura, did so with alacrity. It was a moving moment, even though I was disconcerted to see a journalist so heartily endorse a politician, even one no longer with us.
All in all, it was a splendid affair. Even so, I found myself craving a bit of garlic to spice up this soup. How about a mention of the Moynihan who helped sink the Clintons' national health care plan, arguably the chance in a generation to have universal coverage? Or the Moynihan who soon after sat out a chance to craft welfare reform, after several decades of appearing to champion it. Both of these actions were defensible, but were more controversial then say, restoring L'Enfant's vision of Pennsylvania Avenue. Moynihan might have applauded the serving of Guinness (and Harp ale) at the reception, not only because they were most refreshing, but because they at least hinted at one of the more controversial aspects of the senator's life, his love of a good drink.
The exhibit itself on the second floor of the museum showed how difficult it is to illustrate a politician's life, even one as prolific and varied as Moynihan. Huge photos of the senator plastered the walls, but there was relatively little to see in the exhibit cases - an important pen, one of the senator's typical hats. Most interesting were various memos that had been dug up between Moynihan and various famous folk that gave a behind the scenes glimpse of Washington life.
Moynihan's legacy is certainly broad and good. I hope it survives the current threats to it. Republicans in congress are nudging Moynihan's ISTEA legislation, which he named as his single biggest achievement, to the old status quo of simply more dollars for more asphalt, all the time. Childs, the architect of the soon-to-be Moynihan Station, noted that the pot of money that Moynihan had won for the station was being "nibbled away at" while the deal is finalized, so much so that it might force a redesign.
Let's hope that this does not happen, and let's hope that this exhibition serves as a rallying cry to save a senator's legacy, not for his benefit, but for ours.
The brimming glasses of Guinness served at the reception for the new exhibit, "New York's Moynihan," at the Museum of the City of New York were most welcome. After two hours of rousing praises, I imagine even the Senator himself would have welcomed a bit of a respite.
There was no doubting the sincerity of the nine panelists that sat across the stage at the New York Academy of Medicine, all of whom had known or worked closely with Daniel Patrick Moynihan, the late four-term senator, social scientist, Nixon aide, former ambassador to India, and representative to the United Nations. They praised the usually bow-tied New Yorker of Irish descent for the depth and range of his impact in four decades of public life, and the wisdom of his stances. NBC Washington bureau chief Tim Russert, who began his career as an aide to Moynihan in the early 1970s, led the discussion and apparently gathered many of the panelists there.
Architect David Childs praised the champion of urbanism and architecture, who redeveloped Pennsylvania Avenue in the nation's capital and won money for a new Pennsylvania Station in New York, which is set to be renamed Moynihan Station (see Spotlight 48). Conservative columnist George Will praised the neo-conservative and backer of strong families. Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne praised the neo-liberal who believed in using government to solve problems, and who had "the luck to lose the right races," like the one for president of the New York City council in 1965. U.S. judge Robert Katzmann, who also edited the new book on sale at the event, Daniel Patrick Moynihan: The Intellectual in Public Life, praised the defender of international law.
Harvard professor emeritus Nathan Glazer, who co-authored Beyond the Melting Pot with Moynihan, praised the scholar who shook up the establishment with his analysis of the black family. Scholar Stephen Hess, an aide to President Nixon, praised the savvy teacher, who tutored Nixon so well in domestic policy that Nixon can be called "the last liberal president" because of all the big government initiatives he signed into law, including the Environmental Protection Agency, the Clean Air Act and many others. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-Queens/Manhattan), praised the politician, who could focus on broad sweeping policy issues, like re-engineering federal transportation to provide more funding for mass transit and break the grip of highway builders on federal gas tax revenues. She noted the virtuosity of a political leader who could dramatically alter spending formulas across the country, even as he brought home the bacon for the Second Avenue Subway, which he dearly supported. (As does Maloney, who along with Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields, was omitted from an otherwise excellent story on the progress of Second Avenue in the current New York Magazine).
After two hours of this, Russert ended the event by asking the entire audience to stand and give "a rousing cheer for Daniel Patrick Moynihan." The audience, which was packed with family and friends and included his widow Elizabeth and daughter Maura, did so with alacrity. It was a moving moment, even though I was disconcerted to see a journalist so heartily endorse a politician, even one no longer with us.
All in all, it was a splendid affair. Even so, I found myself craving a bit of garlic to spice up this soup. How about a mention of the Moynihan who helped sink the Clintons' national health care plan, arguably the chance in a generation to have universal coverage? Or the Moynihan who soon after sat out a chance to craft welfare reform, after several decades of appearing to champion it. Both of these actions were defensible, but were more controversial then say, restoring L'Enfant's vision of Pennsylvania Avenue. Moynihan might have applauded the serving of Guinness (and Harp ale) at the reception, not only because they were most refreshing, but because they at least hinted at one of the more controversial aspects of the senator's life, his love of a good drink.
The exhibit itself on the second floor of the museum showed how difficult it is to illustrate a politician's life, even one as prolific and varied as Moynihan. Huge photos of the senator plastered the walls, but there was relatively little to see in the exhibit cases - an important pen, one of the senator's typical hats. Most interesting were various memos that had been dug up between Moynihan and various famous folk that gave a behind the scenes glimpse of Washington life.
Moynihan's legacy is certainly broad and good. I hope it survives the current threats to it. Republicans in congress are nudging Moynihan's ISTEA legislation, which he named as his single biggest achievement, to the old status quo of simply more dollars for more asphalt, all the time. Childs, the architect of the soon-to-be Moynihan Station, noted that the pot of money that Moynihan had won for the station was being "nibbled away at" while the deal is finalized, so much so that it might force a redesign.
Let's hope that this does not happen, and let's hope that this exhibition serves as a rallying cry to save a senator's legacy, not for his benefit, but for ours.
@RegionalPlan