Keep Domenici’s legacy alive
When Sen. Pete V. Domenici passed away this week, many proclaimed it the end of an era. It doesn’t have to be so.
Sen. Domenici set a legacy with us. Throughout his political career, he demonstrated a spirit of bipartisanship and common-sense pragmatism. With him, the needs of New Mexico always came first.
Senator Domenici gave us a brilliant example of what it means to be a public servant. Whether we choose to follow his lead is up to us.
Sen. Domenici did not believe in flash. When limousines were sent to pick him up, he would waive them off and take a cab. His favorite food was a greasy hamburger. He was a lunchpail kind of guy who did not care about your background or political leanings. Titles did not impress him. If you were willing to work with him, he was willing to work with you. It was just that simple.
Today’s political culture celebrates drama, creating an environment in which politicians cannot give proposals meaning without demeaning the opposition.
Sen. Domenici rejected this grandstanding. He cared about results. That is the core of what mattered to him. He never let ideology get in the way of a good deal.
Pete Domenici brokered plenty of good deals during his Senate career — agreements that helped New Mexico and made the world a better place for us all.
He and Sen. Jeff Bingaman made a formidable team in the U.S. Senate. Together, they helped protect New Mexico’s military bases, advocated on behalf of our state’s tribes and pueblos, and strengthened our U.S. energy economy.
Sen. Domenici stood up to President Ronald Reagan during the budget battles of the 1980s, because he felt an obligation to future generations to hold down the national debt. He partnered with liberal lions like Sens. Paul Wellstone and Ted Kennedy to pass the monumental Mental Health Parity Act of 2008. Generations not yet born will benefit from Pete Domenici’s pivotal role in funding and promoting the human genome project, which is leading to tools to predict, diagnose and cure thousands of hereditary diseases.
When Bill Richardson became governor, Sen. Domenici worked with him to improve New Mexico’s highways, build University of New Mexico’s Health Sciences Center, and increase education funding.
Sen. Domenici was also responsible for placing millions of acres of New Mexico’s uniquely beautiful landscape under federal protection, something he did not receive enough credit for during his lifetime.
Partisanship in American politics has existed since Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. To say political consensus-building is a quaint or old-fashioned notion is a cop-out.
We do not have to be slaves to 24/7 news mavens bent on teasing conflict out of every comment for ratings, page views or “likes.” There is another way.
Listen to opposing viewpoints. Do not vilify others. Be optimistic. Work hard. Identify common ground. Learn to compromise if it promotes the greater good.
These are the lessons to be learned from Sen. Domenici. He showed us one could participate in political life with honor, civility and humility. He consistently put the interests of his state and country ahead of his own — the true definition of public service.
Pete Domenici gave us a map to the high road. Honor him and his legacy by taking it.