Mixing in with the powerful

This is about two politicians, both in their 90s, one who passed away last week and the other still going strong.

Former U.S. Senator Birch Bayh, 91, passed away last Thursday.

He served Indiana and the nation well during his time in the Senate, and is perhaps best known for shepherding Title IX to its success; anyway, that’s what he has said was his greatest achievement.

I first met Sen. Bayh at the annual Democratic dinner in Seattle. Senators Henry Jackson and Warren Magnuson had sent me tickets to the dinner, and a host of Democrats from around the country showed up.

Jackson invited me to a suite in the Four Seasons Hotel after the dinner, and I got to rub shoulders with some of the top politicians in the country. Bayh made himself available for a discussion so I could do a story on him.

Later, I had an opportunity to meet him again while he was doing a favor for Sen. Jackson.

The American Legion in Bothell, where I lived, wanted to dedicate its new building, and I suggested to their officials that I would ask Jackson if he could speak at the affair. He said he would.

As it turned out, Jackson ended up with a conflict and asked Sen. Bayh to fill the speaking engagement for him. Bayh was on his way to Alaska to speak someplace up there and stayed over in Seattle so he could be in Bothell. All went well, and Jackson’s office sent the American Legion unit a flag that had been flown over the capital for their new facility. They had been flying a flag that had only 48 stars on it.

The other politician is former President Jimmy Carter.

I met then-Gov. Carter while at a newspaper convention in Atlanta, Georgia. He was the keynote speaker, and after he spoke to the newspaper crowd he came off the platform and was standing alone up front.

So I went up to meet him and we had a good, but short, conversation. Carter asked if my wife was coming to the governor’s mansion the next day for a tea that was scheduled, and, if she was, why not come out and we could continue our conversation.

So I went.

I went into his office, and he asked all about our newspaper and where I lived. Then he sent out a bombshell and said he was going to announce running for president. And he assured me he was going to win.

Carter then invited the two of us to the Athletic Club in Seattle for a meeting while he was there for the National Governors’ Conference.

We got the invite, appeared at the appointed time and met Carter and his wife at the door. They greeted us by name.

That’s one reason I never ran for political office: I can’t remember names.

Anyway, as former presidents go, Carter has distinguished himself in the years after he left office.

He served but the one term, saddled with too many Georgia people guiding him and the difficult times dealing with Iran over the embassy hostage takeover.

However, his moral leadership, and activity helping others since he held office, has made him a man admired by most people.

At 94, Carter is still busy helping people. His example of serving people should be a model for others who have been elected by the people for service.

After meeting Carter for the second time, he sent an autographed picture to add to other memorable times.