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Senate Strength
Carl Levin's dignity, stature rooted in family values.
A
member of one of Michigan's
more prominent and iconic
political families, Carl Levin, 78,
has served America with skill, smarts and
sensitivity in his six terms as a U.S. sena-
tor representing the Great Lakes State.
He's a Senate force
with the ability to
command respect
on both sides of
the Senate aisle, a
sign of his family's
time-tested appre-
ciation for achiev-
ing balance over
bluster.
Robert Sklar
Says President
Contributing
Obama: "If you've
Editor
ever worn the
uniform, worked a
shift on an assem-
bly line or sacrificed to make ends meet,
then you've had a voice and a vote in Sen.
Carl Levin. No one has worked harder
to bring manufacturing jobs back to our
shores, close unfair tax loopholes and
ensure that everyone plays by the same set
of rules:'
No matter how turbulent Capitol Hill
is, the Democratic senator has a knack for
turning on the charm and humor with his
close-knit family.
Levin, a native Detroiter, is best known
for leadership in helping bail out General
Motors and Chrysler from economic dis-
tress and in chairing the Senate Armed
Services Committee. He opposed giving
congressional authorization to the 2003
invasion of Iraq (preferring to give U.N.
inspectors more time to find evidence
of weapons of mass destruction). He has
been a staunch supporter of the U.S.-Israel
relationship and was integral in the emi-
gration battle waged by Soviet Jews.
It's crucial that he, as a trusted adviser,
presses the president to keep pressure on
Iran and its nuclear arms ambition.
High Principles
Levin's virtue represents the best from an
era when many of America's most talented
aspired for careers in public service. Only
a politician with the wisdom of Solomon
would know when to call it quits as
Michigan's senior senator did in announc-
ing on March 7 he wouldn't vie for a sev-
enth six-year term in 2014.
His departure will weaken Michigan's
congressional clout, but the National
Republican Senatorial Committee sees a
bright light. In a statement, it declared:
"Politically, Sen. Levin's decision knocks
26
March 28 • 2013
In the U.S. Senate, Carl Levin has embraced
a resourceful dignity over a roughshod style.
a Democratic Senate already on defense
far back on their heels and offers us a real
pickup opportunity."
Levin is still zestful, but understands
it's time to welcome a new generation into
the political cauldron of the U.S. Senate.
His wife of more than 50 years, Barbara,
their three married daughters and their
six grandchildren certainly deserve more
time with the man with the sometimes
rumpled look who may
well be the modern-day
conscience of the U.S.
Senate, in deference to
his mentor, Philip Hart,
the Michigan senator
who served from 1959
until his death in 1976.
"I am very proud of
Philip Hart
Carl and his long period
of service in the Senate
Barbara told the JN. "He
has always brought
great integrity, energy
and intelligence to his
work. The longer he has
served, the prouder I've
become.
Barbara Levin
"Given Carl's energy
and many interests" she
added, "I don't expect him to be home that
much more after he leaves the Senate. But
I am hopeful we'll have more time to pur-
sue some of those interests together"
Driven To Serve
Carl cut his political spurs serving as
unofficial campaign manager for his older
brother Sander's successful 1964 run for
a Senate seat in the Michigan Legislature.
Four years later, Carl successfully ran for
the Detroit City Council. It was a time
when Americans were still energized by
President John F. Kennedy's "Don't ask
what your country do for you; ask what
you can do for your country" plea in his
1960 inaugural address. It was a time when
parents would sit around the dinner table,
discuss current events with their children
and encourage them to try to improve their
communities, country and world. It was a
time when the Peace Corps took root.
Growing up, Carl and Sander enjoyed
interacting with their parents, Bess
and Saul, but always looked forward to
Sundays with relatives in the family's
Detroit home — on LaSalle Boulevard
and later on Boston Boulevard. The din-
ner hour typically featured lively political
discussions inspired by the national radio
program Drew Pearson Comments.
Bess and Saul were Zionists who
believed strongly in giving their children
a Jewish education; both of their boys
became bar mitzvah at Congregation
Shaarey Zedek. Sander has been a life-
long Shaarey Zedek member. In 1977,
Carl helped found the Reconstructionist
Congregation T'Chiyah in Detroit; the con-
gregation moved to Oak Park in 2004.
Public service is inbred in the Levin
family legacy. Saul served on the Michigan
Corrections Commission; an uncle,
Theodore, was chief judge for the U.S.
District Court for Eastern Michigan; a
cousin, Charles, was a Michigan Supreme
Court justice. Sander's son Andrew served
Michigan as the state's first workforce offi-
cer under Gov. Jennifer Granholm.
Another cousin, Avern
Cohn, is a current U.S.
District Court judge for
Eastern Michigan. "Carl
Levin's role in the public
life of Michigan and of
the nation has set a stan-
dard that few have ever
in the past, or indeed in
Judge Cohn
the future, will come
close to" Cohn told the
JN. "The Jewish people should be particu-
larly proud of having contributed Carl to
the public weal — the public wellbeing"
Upward Bound
Borrowing from Jewish tradition, family
ties and values have been at the center
of the universe for the Levin brothers,
who today remain the best of friends.
The Harvard Law School graduates
joined Congress within four years of one
another. Carl joined the Senate in 1978.