Former U.S. Secretary of State James Baker served  under President George H.W. Bush  1989 – 1992 /  (credit: bakerinstitute.org)

By Gary Raynaldo     DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

Former  Secretary of State James A. Baker, III  has some advice for the next elected President of the United States: “One of the  most important thing is to re-establish American leadership internationally.”  The 90-year-old sage who  served as U.S. secretary of state during the administration of  George H.W. Bush gave the advice during the Wilson Center’s  Books at Wilson event this month. The event featured American political journalists Peter Baker and Susan Glasser with the former Secretary of State, as the writers introduced their new biography “The Man Who Ran Washington: The Life and Times of James A. Baker III.”   Baker was an indispensable partner to four presidents from Gerald Ford to George W. Bush.   From the end of the Watergate scandal to the aftermath of the Cold War, no Republican won the presidency without Baker’s help, or ran the White House without his advice, according to the Wilson Center.   At age 90, Baker is an elder statesman who is still full of energy and possesses a sharp political mind. He speaks with an air of authority in a gravely,  southern drawl  telling of his Texas roots.  The authors of Baker’s book describe him as somebody who combines a portfolio of a Karl Rove and a Henry Kissinger. Baker also ran five presidential campaigns. 

“When America leads internationally, it’s been my experience where we were  forced to manage fidelity,  we don’t get out there and engage internationally because we want to get in someone else’s sand box or we want some territory.  But when we don’t engage (internationally), there is a vacuum.  And I think that vacuum is often times filled by actors who  don’t share our principal values.  And  another thing is we need to find a way to cure our political disfunction.  I think that is the biggest challenge facing America today.”

-Former Secretary of State James Baker 

On The Lack Of  Bipartisanship in American Politics Today:

“The responsible center in American politics has disappeared.  It is gone.  There aren’t any moderates anymore on either side. That is a real tragedy for the county and for our democracy,” Baker observed.   The former secretary of state spoke fondly of the  Reagan-Bush era in which both presidential administrations, in his opinion, worked very well with then Congressional Speaker of the House Thomas Phillip “Tip” O’Neill Jr.  The authors of Baker’s book observed that it is incredulous that a COVID relief bill has languished since April with both Democrats and Republicans refusing to act on it.  They believe that if Baker were active in politics today a COVID deal would have been made by now because he was not afraid to work with the other side to get things done, particularly for a serious issue as a pandemic that impacts all of America regardless of political affiliation.  Baker was famous for getting things done even if it meant sitting down with Democrats. He saw the bigger picture. 

From left: House Speaker Tip O’Neill, President Ronald Reagan, John Hume, senator Ted Kennedy and then Irish minister for foreign affairs Peter Barry, on Capitol Hill, Washington DC, in 1984.   Credit: Photo: Irish Times / irishamerica.com

“We tried successfully to  work with “Tip”.   ‘Tip’ was one of these people, in those days, when both Republicans and  Democrats would go to congress, would go to the White House, and go to the Senate to do the people’s bidding.  Not just sit there gnaw at each other and fight.  ‘Tip’ was interested in getting things done. We were interested in getting things done. Under  Reagan, there was a Democratic House for the entire two terms that  he served.  G. HW Bush had a Democratic House and Senate for the one term he served.  So, I got pretty used to working the other side of the isle.  But in those days, that was the only way you got anything done.  It takes two to tangle.  Without Tip,  we would never had been able to reform the Tax code. Without Tip we would never have been able to restore the sovereignty of Social Security.” Baker said.

There were stories in Washington D.C.  circles about Tip O’Neill and President Reagan fighting  during the day on political issues and then drinking together at night.  “Ronald Reagan and Tip  worked well together. They were both big Irish politicians.  They both loved a good story, and they told a lot of good stories together.  It takes two. Both sides have to be ready and willing to do things,” Baker said. 

During his tenure at the State Department, Baker traveled to 90 foreign countries on behalf of  the United States. Baker oversaw the collapse of the Soviet Union and confronted the unprecedented challenges and opportunities of the post–Cold War era. 

Baker On Russian Leader Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev:

“He will go down in history for choosing not  to use force to keep the Soviet Union together. He is a significant figure in history.”  –  James Baker”

Baker On Dick Cheney and Soviet Union:

“Dick was wrong on the Soviet Union. He thought it was better to fragment large parts of the Soviet Union.”

On  NATO Post-Cold War  Strategy:

“The big mistake is that we over pushed expansion of NATO. It was too aggressive. We went too far. It is still the  reason we are in another ‘Cold War’ with Russia now.”

Baker On the Bush-Gore  2000 U.S. Presidential Election:

The former secretary of state spoke on the controversial 2000 United States presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore. The Florida vote was ultimately settled in Bush’s favor by a margin of 537 votes when the U.S. Supreme Court, in Bush v. Gore, stopped a recount that had been initiated upon a ruling by the Florida Supreme Court. Gore conceded graciously after the  Supreme Court ruling and there was an orderly transfer of power.  Just a week before one of the  most important presidential elections in history, there are concerns about an orderly transfer of power.

“I do believe Bush got more votes,” Baker said noting that  Gore conceded quickly and recognized the Presidency of Bush. 

“He (Gore) gave a wonderful concession speech. That’s the way power should transfer in this country.  It s one of the strengths of our democracy that we  peacefully transfer power.  And anybody who  questions that is absolutely wrong.  Respect the tradition and the custom of transferring power peacefully following a presidential election. It is one of the  things that have made our country great. It’s one of the strengths of America.  Don’t question it!”

-James Baker  

Baker on President Donald Trump’s “Unconventional” Presidency:

The former secretary of state acknowledged that President Trump has been a rather unconventional presidency compared with the past, and  said it could be difficult working with such a president. However, Baker hedged on outright criticizing Trump and pointed to  his “accomplishments”.

“But if you look at the things that have been accomplished…look at the appointment of judges, and you  look at the elimination of regulations, it looks a lot like our first term of the Ronald Reagan administration.  That’s  what we spent a lot of time doing.  Some of the important conservative policies Trump accomplished  outweigh some of the outrageous questionable policies.  I am one of these very, very conflicted Republicans.  But  I  am balanced.  This is not about a person.  This is not about a party.  It is about the direction that  I think  the  country ought to move in.  It’s about conservative judges.  It’s about elimination of regulations.  It’s about pro-growth economic policies. Those, in my view,  overwhelm all of the negative stuff we see in terms of presidential behavior. Now there are other areas that go the wrong way.  I’m the first to acknowledge it. 

-James Baker

On  President Trump literally calling upon Attorney General William Barr to  indict and  initiate an investigation of former Vice President Joe Biden, and current  presidential candidate, literally weeks before the election, along with his son Hunter:

“It’s just outrageous for a president to do that”

-James Baker 

“The Man Who Ran Washington”   The Life and Times of James A. Baker III   is the portrait of a practitioner of lost arts in today’s fractured nation. Baker’s story is a tale of a power broker who influenced America for generations, in large part because he understood how to make Washington work at a time when American power and prestige shaped events around the world – Wilson Center.