Former VP Dan Quayle '69 Reflects on His Senate Colleague, Edward M. Kennedy

August 27, 2009

August 27, 2009, Greencastle, Ind. — Edward M. Kennedy brought to the United States Senate a bipartisan spirit "that is lacking in Washington," according to Dan Quayle, America's 44th Vice President and 1969 graduate of DePauw University. As fellow senators, Quayle, a Republican, and Kennedy, a Democrat, co-sponsored the Job Training Partnership Act of 1982, which was approved 94-0. "People basically said if Quayle and Kennedy can agree there must not be much room for disagreement," Quayle tells Indianapolis radio station WIBC.

Kennedy passed away Tuesday evening after a long battle with a brain tumor.

Quayle was elected to two terms in both the House and Senate before being tapped to be George H.W. Bush's running mate in 1988. Kennedy, he says, worked for the greater good, while many lawmakers today "are more interested in personal politics, personal advancement than doing what they know is right."

Stan Lehr reports, "Quayle says Kennedy won the respect of opponents with an engaging personality, a passion for his work and a straightforward approach. 'Once he gave me his word that he was gonna do something, he did it,' says Quayle."

Read more and access an audio report at the station's Web site.

Dan Quayle is chairman of the international division of Cerberus Capital Management and president of Quayle and Associates. Last month, he offered his assessment of President Barack Obama's first six months in office during an Associated Press interview.

Another DePauw graduate, Vernon E. Jordan Jr. '57, offered his thoughts on Ted Kennedy on PBS' Tavis Smiley program last night. Learn more in this story.

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