Former Iowa Republican Rep. James Leach to Speak at DNC

It was just announced that former Iowa Republican Representative James "Jim" Leach, now serving as the interim Director of the Institute of Politics at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, is to speak at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado on Monday's opening night, August 25.

Trotting out this esteemed 30-year Republican legislator, who endorsed Barack Obama on August 12, is a coup for the Democrats. It's akin to the use of Senator Joseph Leiberman, (a former Democratic vice presidential running mate with John Kerry) at the Republican convention.

Jim Leach is one of the most respected politicians ever to serve. And serve he did -- for 30 years, from 1977 to 2007, when, after being re-elected 14 times, he was upset in the 2^nd Congressional District in eastern Iowa by a mere 6,000 votes by former Cornell College Professor David Loebsack.

Leach, a graduate of Princeton, Johns Hopkins and the London School of Economics, and a Davenport, Iowa, native, has been a voice for moderate Republicans ever since he defeated Ed Mezvinsky (who later served time in prison) in 1976.

If all politicians had the integrity, smarts and scruples of James Leach, this country wouldn't be in the mess it's in at this time in our history.

Leach was fiscally conservative, socially moderate, but progressive on such issues as stem cell research, which he supported at a time when President Buch was banning the use of all but a few strains. Leach also had the integrity to quit during Watergate, in protest over the "Saturday Night Massacre," when Richard Nixon fired Eliot Richardson and Archibald Cox. (At the time, Leach was serving as a delegate to the Geneva Disarmament Conference and the U.N. General Assembly). He never accepted PAC money, refused out-of-state contributions to his campaigns and put limits on how much one individual could contribute.

After 9/11, I was standing in a long line at the Baltimore Airport, trying to get a plane back to the Midwest from a Sylvan Learning Center convention when I happened to notice that the man two people back in line was Jim Leach, schlepping his own suit over his shoulder in a garment bag. The lines that day, snaking through that airport, were the longest lines I've ever seen in an airport. Airports in Washington, D.C. had been closed and planes had been grounded for days.

I struck up a conversation with Leach, saying something less-than-intelligent like, "Hey! You're my Representative!"

Everyone, at that time, wanted to do something to help, and I sketched for Leach my goal of hosting a fund-raiser for a college fund for the children of the victims of that tragic terrorist attack. When I asked his opinion of the idea, just then taking shape in my mind, he responded with amusement, "You're way ahead of me." I forgot to ask him if he would participate, were I successful in organizing the event, but belatedly thought of this coup and sprinted the length of two airport concourses to ask him (breathlessly), "If I get something together, would you come and be the keynote speaker?" He looked a bit startled, but acknowledged that he would do so.

Fast forward to an Iowa football game one month later in a pancake house in Iowa City, Iowa. Who should be there but Representative Leach, wearing an orange sweater. I went over to his table and said, "Remember me? The Sylvan lady? I'm still working on the plans for the fund-raiser. Can I still count on you?" He chuckled, probably wondering if I were stalking him, but said, "Yes. Sure. Just let my office know."

I worked out the details of this event between 9/11 and 11/11, Veterans' Day. In frequent conversations with the Representative's office staff, I received word that, although he had many speaking commitments that day, he would, indeed, travel all the way from Iowa City (106 miles, round trip) to the Iowa Quad Cities, to the Pleasant Valley High School auditorium, which I had rented for the event we dubbed "Celebrate Citizenship." I was warned, however, that, since he had at least seven prior speaking engagements in that one day, he would arrive late.

When Jim Leach entered the hall halfway through the performances by the Glenview (Illinois) Junior High School Band, I gave a sigh of relief. He gave a thoughtful report to the assembled citizens about what was being discussed in the halls of Congress regarding the dastardly attack on the World Trade Center. He was insightful, thoughtful, inspiring, just as I expect him to be on Monday night at the Democratic National Convention in Colorado.

He did not let me down in my hour of need. Through the generosity of the people of the Iowa/Illinois Quad Cities and the forthright goodness of this man of principle, we raised $5,000 for the Scholarship Fund established for the children of the victims of 9/11 -- with matching funds from Sylvan Corporate.

This is the James Leach who endorsed Barack Obama on August 12 and who will speak to the nation on Monday, August 25.

Jim Leach is one of the good ones. Lord knows we need more like him now. I hope when he speaks, the nation listens.