That’s kind of like hearing your eulogy without having to die. Joe, that is just so nice. I am deeply honored. And John Castellani is right — to be here on an evening when Speaker John Boehner has the responsibilities that he has. And it’s just an incredibly effective job (he is doing). I can tell you, being in leadership, that John has just done a tremendous job. And then to hear those kind words from one of the nicest and most effective people I know in the U.S. Senate, Joe Lieberman, is truly heartening. Caryll and I are just so honored to be with all of you tonight. And I want to give special thanks also to Dan Danner, Foundation President Linda Dooley, our dinner Chair Joann Piccolo and the Foundation’s Board of Governors for presenting this incredible award.
I just have to say one more thing about Joe Lieberman. I’ve learned something in the Senate. You know, you talk to people on the floor. You’re always saying how are you doing? How’s your family? When you get to the point where Joe and I are, where you’re just about ready to leave, you start reflecting a little more. And I’ve asked people, “Who’s your best friend in the Senate?” I’m now up to fifty who say their best friend is Joe Lieberman. [applause]
I haven’t actually counted, Joe. But the truth of the matter is that there are so many of your colleagues who believe that you are their best friend, as do I; because there is no finer friend to have than you. And not only as a member of the Senate, but as a member of the human race, it doesn’t get any better than Joe Lieberman. And I’m deeply grateful for what you said tonight. [applause]
You all appreciate the fact that the Bryce Harlow Foundation provides an invaluable service and education to so many of Washington’s future leaders, especially at a time when lobbying has, as John pointed out, fallen into some disrepute. And relations between business and government have become too acrimonious. The Foundation reminds us that professional advocacy can and should reflect high ethical standards. And that restoring trust between public servants and private industry is essential to the future of American prosperity, the point that John just got through making to all of us.
Lobbying, which is the petitioning of our government, is constitutionally protected political speech. It is necessary to the proper functioning of our government. But in recent years, high profile Washington scandals have shown us what can happen when lobbyists abandon the sense of professional ethics or public purpose.
But there’s another form of lobbying that rarely generates the big headlines, the type of lobbying that was practiced by Bryce Harlow and that lives on today through the impressive work of the Foundation. Bryce represented the best of that Washington advocacy community. More than that, he represented the best of American public servants. During his tenure in the Eisenhower and Nixon Administrations, and later during his time as a representative of Proctor & Gamble, Bryce fought vigorously for public policies aimed at improving the general welfare without ever compromising his intellectual or personal integrity.
One of the reasons I know that is because my father told me so. My father, who served in Congress at the time from the state of Iowa, admired and worked with Bryce when he was in the Nixon White House. And I should also note that this afternoon as we were reflecting during one of seven or eight votes on the floor of the Senate, I was visiting with Lamar Alexander. Bryce Harlow had hired Lamar Alexander. And I’ll resist the temptation tonight to share with you some of the stories that Lamar told because I hope that he’ll have the opportunity someday to relate those stories to you personally.
But every one of them was reflective of the same thing that has been spoken of him tonight; of his high ethical standards, his great effectiveness because he was deemed totally trustworthy. And, of course, that characterizes tonight’s other honoree John Castellani. He has displayed the same commitment to passionate, ethical lobbying that serves the public interest. And through his leadership at the Business Roundtable and PhRMA, he’s earned the high respect, both from peers in the private sector and I can tell you, from those of us here in the government.
As I discussed earlier, the level of trust between business and government has declined which makes the mission of this foundation so incredibly important. Unless business and government can work together to increase America’s global competitiveness, our country may lose ground in the century ahead. In my view, responsible high minded pro-growth business advocacy has never been more critical, given the fragile condition of America’s economic recovery, new economic challenges from abroad, our looming financial crisis, the enormous political pressure to raise taxes on investment and income, the danger of costly new regulations and the rise of a bailout culture that has led to harmfulness allocations of capital.
All of this represents a huge challenge for us as we work to fix the breach between business and government. As you know, I’ll be leaving the Senate at the end of 2012. But I am heartened to know that the Bryce Harlow Foundation will still be here fulfilling its mission on behalf of honorable lobbying and sound public policy. Thank you all very much tonight for this prestigious award and for your success in hosting this wonderful event. [applause]