Jack Kemp: Bleeding-Heart Conservative

In 1965, in a last minute move, the American Football League switched its All-Star game from New Orleans to Houston. In New Orleans, black football players had been denied entry to restaurants and taxi cabs because of the color of their skin and had begun a boycott in protest. A star quarterback, who was also the founder and president of the AFL players union, named Jack Kemp, refused to sit idly by in the face of racism, supported the boycott, and helped to get the game moved. Former football player Ernie Ladd told The Washington Post, "The only white who would take a stand was Jack Kemp. He made it known he wasn't for that type of activity." Jack Kemp thought racism was both stupid and wrong, and consistently stood up against it when few other white celebrities or leaders did. From both the sporting and political worlds, he and Bill Bradley stand out in that commitment--one a Republican and one a Democrat.

Jack Kemp died on Saturday at the age of 73, and he will be remembered and missed by many. He served from 1971 to 1989 as a congressman from New York and for four years after that as President George H. W. Bush's Housing and Urban Development Secretary. Kemp was a fervent believer in "supply side economics," which I just as fervently oppose. But you do not have to agree with all of Jack Kemp's economic policies to be impressed and inspired with his life and leadership. He championed what some called "bleeding-heart conservatism," and for his work on civil rights he was often hailed as a true Lincoln-style Republican. Jack Kemp was one of very few white politicians held in high esteem by many African Americans, and one of the very few Republicans of his era who was trusted by the black community.

He was strict in his adherence to conservative principles but often found common ground with veteran housing advocates working with and on behalf of those stuck in failed urban housing projects. His commitment to the principles of economic opportunity for the poor, and ownership and investment in blighted neighborhoods, made him a practical and pragmatic ally for those committed to transforming urban neighborhoods.

I had a few good conversations with Jack Kemp, and he was always very positive about the work we were trying to do on poverty and racism. He was less a partisan politician than a principled one. I thank God for Jack Kemp, perhaps one of the earliest pioneers of "compassionate conservatism." In his passing, I pray that his legacy would increase -- both of finding common ground with those with whom he disagreed on many things and of increasing opportunity for all of God's children. Jack will be remembered as both a lesson and an example for political leaders of the future.

Jim Wallis is the author of The Great Awakening, Editor-in-Chief of Sojourners and blogs at www.godspolitics.com.

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Comments

[Animal Compassion]

Kemp was a hypocrite! Dodged military service with a bad shoulder but was able to play football. Was pro military so long as others did the sacrificing. Typical class-based politician and hypocrite.

[realpolitic]

While I applaud Jack Kemp's personal stand against racism, his believe in "trickle down" economics has been soundly demonstrated as false. The policy of rewarding the wealthy with tax cuts and then that wealth is supposed to "trickle down" to the rest of us does not work and really only benefits the wealthy. Our budget deficits increase enormously with such policies and the gap between rich and poor grows and grows. Furthermore, Bush, who really instituted a tax cut for the rich policy, saw few gains in employment over eight years. The theory that we all benefit when the rich get richer has failed in every possible way.

[PresidentRobertBooth]

He was so progressive he supported civil liberties for gay people.....but didn't want them teaching in schools.

[dontvote4him]

Good enough 4 me.

[Grulg]

Kemp was great. Fine fine writeup.

[DamaskinosLives]

Kemp was the kind of Republican that Republicans need today - minus the "deregulation all taxes are bad" delusions.
.

[mattbass83]

Amen, do not forget Barry Goldwater. These were men of principle who had well thought out ideas. If the GOP followed Kemp and Goldwater's examples we might not be in the situation we are in. Barry Goldwater was sickened by teh intolerance and greed of GOP leaders like Newt Gingrich and Tom De Lay. Men like Jack Kemp are what we need in Washington today.

[dontvote4him]

Don't forget that the Dems still hated him.

[dwillisno1]

Amazing the spin on this one. Yesterday, because Kemp was so popular and couldn't be trashed yet, El Rushblo was spinning that Kemp was pure traditional Rushie conservative supply sider. He was not having any of the virtues that made Jack Kemp the fine human being he was. I know of no religion that has the level of orthodoxy that this guy and his followers demand.

[RogerTheShrubber]

Mr. Wallis, I've enjoyed many of your commentaries over the years (in Sojourners and elsewhere). Here, however, I'd have to disagree. Mr. Kemp's "compassionate conservative" nature and civil-rights leadership extended only to straight folks. Gays need not have applied for his compassion as they apparently did not fit within his definition of, in your words, "all God's children." RIP, Jack Kemp, and peace to his family. Let's hope lessons are learned from his life such that new civil rights leadership is indeed compassionate and inclusive.

[terramartom]

As an Atheist I differ on Mr. Wallis' stance on religion but I agree with him most of the time on content. The USA needs more open and fair minded religious people of his Nature. The Nature of inclusion, compassion, and tolerence.

[mcthfg]

We need more people who are wrong? And not only wrong, but horribly so? You really believe we need more religious nutjobs in this world?

Atheists don't need to say "As an atheist..."

[Tuco bad]

I am no fan of Arlen Specter, but he is correct on this.

All the tax money that Jack Kemp saved for himself and his wealthy friends could have been used to research and cure various diseases.

Oh well.

[dontvote4him]

Yada yada yada

[vulcan280]

Mr. Kemp loved being a football player/politician. On Monday October 16, 1989 the Rams played the Bills. ABC and Epson decided to throw a party at the National Guard Armory celebrating the 20th anniversary of Monday Night Football and retire OJSimpson's jersey (didn't show). Computer stores gave tickets to their customers. It was open bar. The catering was excellent. Dierdorf and Gifford hosted the show (Michaels was at earthquake World Series). They showed highlights of Monday Night football on big screens. Answering a football trivia question got everyone at your table a fancy gift (in addition to all the ABC MNF shirts, hats and glasses everyone got). A parade of Buffalo Bills football personalities and politicians spoke of which Mr. Kemp was number one due to lack of OJ. I never saw Mr. Kemp connect with a crowd when talking politics, but when talking football to fans that grew up worshiping him, he was riveting. Example: "Kelly isn't playing tonight because he hurt his arm, when I hurt my arm I got a shot and played, and not for millions!" He was having a great time. The party ended and we slowly filed out through a rope line. Mr. Kemp's entourage was just in front of us, when a soldier in fatigues asks him for his signature. He stopped the line, signed his name, and softly said to him "I want you to go down to Panama and kick Noriega's ass." The invasion was two months later.

[je7374]

This is a great comment! Jack Kemp would lose me politically because every time I heard him speak he would equate everything to football. His speeches would always eventually contain the line, "You know, when I played football..."

[dontvote4him]

You know, when I played basketball. Oh no I didn't. I just pretend for the press.

[stell]

Kemp understood that poverty is an outgrowth of racism. He didn't condescend, and if there is a heaven, he'll be there. Jim when you talk about poverty and racism, make sure you put racism first in order. In this country, and worldwide, just look at history, without the deceit, violence and confusion racism produces, you wouldn't have black poverty, or non-white poverty in general for that matter.

[Rothgar]

Not to be disagreeable since the logic is pretty strong but how do we explain endemic WHITE poverty?
As a College student I lived near Philly in an apartment complex full of pretty poor mostly white folks. In the set of 8 apartments where I lived, 3 were occupied by people who were earning their own rent. I was being paid pretty well working as an intern engineer at the local Boeing plant. There was a nuclear black family where both parents worked and an older guy who worked as an accounting. The remaining units were occupied by folks on public assistance, alimony, child support or some combination thereof. One guy about my age had been working until a crash trashed his van so he went on assistance and starting working nights for cash.
IMHO, and I lived right with them, these people exhibited preferences and behaviours that destined them to remain poor for generations. Now these folks wouldn't necessarily attract police attention in other neighborhood but they were still down around the end of the rope struggling to hang on. One aspect that stood out was a serious distain for education.
I see the racism/poverty link but these folks were mostly of the "privileged class. What's are we missing?

[stell]

Sorry, I can't get my answer to your question through moderation. Appreciate the challenge though. The gist of it was that, sacrifices must be made to keep the status quo intact.

[Budokan]

Kemp's party left him behind a long time ago. He never recognized this, unfortunately.

[argyle]

Hear, hear!