Senator Levin in Alpena

Since last summer, a handful of Democratic friends have worked to breathe new life into the Democratic Party in Presque Isle County.  Several years ago the local party's long-time spark plug fell ill, lingered for many months, and finally died.  No PI Democrat stepped forward to pick up his responsibilities and, in effect, the county party went into cardiac arrest.

For the past few months we've been doing CPR.  We now have a pulse!  That has not been welcome news for certain people in Presque Isle Township, who are annoyed at our activity and feel ill used because we don't "go along to get along."  I believe my personal popularity has dropped a few clicks.  However, the so-called movers and shakers have largely ignored me since I arrived on the scene four years ago.  Therefore, I'm not giving up very much.

I've found that being politically active has some genuine benefits.  On Saturday I got to spend about an hour and a half with Carl Levin, Michigan's senior U.S. Senator, who will retire at the end of 2015.  He is back home from Washington, D.C. to campaign for candidates across the state.  Having seen the man on TV for decades, it was fascinating to watch him from a few feet away.  He is a most effective politician with a remarkable memory for names and faces.

Senator Levin chats with an Alpena party leader.

Having your picture taken with Carl Levin is a time-honored
tradition.  Here he is with Bob Kennedy, who is running for
Michigan's 106th House seat.

Sen. Levin is now 80 years of age.  I don't doubt that he wants to retire!  He walks with some care (as I do), but when the time came to leave for his next appointment, he scampered off to his pickup truck like a man half his age.  I hope I'll be as mobile as he is ten years hence.

Carl Milton Levin was born June 28, 1934, to a Jewish family in Southeastern Michigan.  He graduated from Detroit Central High School and, after stints driving cab and working in an auto factory, attended Swarthmore College and Harvand Law School.  He first went into private practice and taught law at Wayne State University and University of Detroit Mercy.  He served as General Counsel for the Michigan Civil Rights Commission (1964-67) and then spent two years as a special assistant Attorney General for the State of Michigan.

The Senator was a member of Detroit City Council from 1969-77, including four years as the Council's president.  In 1978 he ran for the U.S. Senate, defeated Michigan's Republican incumbent, and won reelection in 1984, 1990, 1996, 2002, and 2008.  He has served longer than any other Michigan senator.

Sharon, head of the PI County Democrats, greets the
Senator while Gabe (right), his assistant and driver
takes notes on people and issues raised.

Sharon was as warmly greeted as any other constituent.

Sen. Levin currently chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee.  While serving on this committee he has worked on many aspects of national defense, including the ethics and economies of defense contracting.  In the wake of September 11th, he supported President Bush's decision to take action against Afghanistan, but opposed the War in Iraq.  The Senator saw no evidence of weapons of mass destruction, the principal rationale for invading Iraq.  As it turned out, he was correct.

The Senator's most important contribution to his home state may be the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Conservation and Recreation Act of 2013.  This legislation sets aside more than 32,000 acres of the Sleeping Bear Dunes Park on Lake Michigan as part of America's wilderness preservation program.

When I spoke with him, I told the Senator that I appreciated the much-maligned Affordable Care Act, because in my ministry I have had to deal with several parishioners who had no health insurance and therefore no way of securing ongoing treatment for their serious illnesses.  The Senator asked me to write down these stories and send them to him, via Gabe at his Traverse City office.  I will do so this week.

Senator Levin talks with the Alpena crowd about how
Michigan Democrats need to turn out heavily at the polls.

The Michigan Democratic Party is working hard to get voters to turn out for this year's mid-term election.  In 2010 well over 900,000 Michigan Democrats stayed away from the polls, with (in my view) unhappy results.  However, if you don't vote, you have little standing to complain!  This year the State Party hopes to encourage lots of sleepy Democrats to wake up and smell the coffee.  In Presque Isle County we are doing our share.  Having Senator Levin visit us is part of that effort and a pleasant reward for our work. •••