Rudman is not alone in his frustration. So far, 33 members of the House of Representatives and six other Senators have also decided to retire. Some hope to avoid the ignominy of being run out by angry voters. But Colorado Senator Tim Wirth, 52, spoke for many others when he cited "political bickering and superegos that set the national agenda" as his reasons for stepping down.
During his own tenure in the Senate, Rudman, a former attorney general of New Hampshire, has taken a no-nonsense approach to his job. Scornful of political pomp and circumstance, he never accepted an invitation to a White House state dinner or an embassy party and spent most weekends at home in Hollis, N.H., with his wife, Shirley. Nor did he care whom he upbraided. As the senior Republican on the special committee that investigated the Iran-contra affair, he sharply criticized the Reagan Administration's arms-for-hostages effort and bluntly denounced Oliver North to his face.
Rudman may be best remembered as a coauthor of the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act of 1985, which sought to limit the growth in federal spending. But he failed in repeated attempts to cap Medicaid, Social Security and federal retirement programs. Sitting in his Senate office last week, he frequently made sharp jabbing gestures as he spoke about his sense of defeat with correspondent Sandra McElwaine.
What prompted your decision to retire?
Disgust at the inability of Congress to address major problems. I would have considered staying had we been in a situation where the deficit was coming down and the government would be able to spend more money on education, health and research. Rut the frustration of not getting anything done finally got to me.
How did you arrive at that moment of truth?
During a visit in New Hampshire a few weeks ago with my mom, who is 88. She had nothing to do with my decision directly. But while I was at her house, I spent some time alone in a room where my dad used to sit before he died last year, at the age of 93, and I thought long and hard about whether I wanted to be in the Senate for another six years. Although I feel very young and I'm in great health, the fact is I'm 61.1 thought, "If I am going to do something else, the time to do it is now."
Have you decided what you will do?
Not yet. Working in the field of international law is one possibility, as long as I don't have to stay in Washington, D.C. I don't want to hang on around here.
What's so bad about Washington?
It's a phony city. That's one of the problems with Congress. Though most members of this body are very dedicated and honest, there are some, who shall remain nameless, who have become thoroughly enthralled with life in Washington and are truly out of touch with the rest of the country. Personally I find the social scene here very boring. I'm not much interested in sitting next to someone at a function who is there because they gave 6 trillion dollars and make widgets in Omaha.
Are you in favor of term limits for Senators or Congressmen?
No. Term limits are silly because people can vote somebody out anytime they want.
How do you account for the rash of congressional retirements this year?
One explanation is that a career in politics has become very unattractive. We have no privacy, financial or personal, and are accused of being thieves and scoundrels. We are attacked at every chance by people who don't know what they're talking about. The government is to blame for allowing these deficits to get out of control. But you can't look to Washington to solve every blessed problem.
What is your prognosis for the future?
If we don't address our fiscal situation in the next three or four years, we will be borrowing so much money and paying so much interest it will be like having an artery open and bleeding every day. There may come a point when Japan and other countries will refuse to continue financing our debt, and that could lead to an economic crisis that would make the current depression look pale by comparison.
Is there anything that would persuade you to remain in public life?
If I ever serve in government again, it would not be in elective office. I really want to be a private citizen.
Saved by the Bell Reunion
The hookups, the meltdowns, the memoires
The case reveals what was really going on what they think of each other now!
