"Views of the Port / Robison's Fascell text" Port of Miami Travelogue by grandmaR

Cruise ship and sailboat anchorage

I must confess I didn't know who Olin C. Robison was either. From his website, I find:

"Dr. Olin Robison has been a columnist and commentator over the last twenty years. His columns and op-ed pieces have appeared in major newspapers both in the United States and abroad. His hundreds of public radio commentaries have been heard regularly over the last ten years on Vermont Public Radio, Marketplace, and National Public Radio."

Robison started out this particular item by saying: "All who knew about Congressman Fascell's receipt of the honor knew that it was completely appropriate, well deserved, and if, anything, overdue, despite the fact that relatively few Americans recognize his name."

Dodge Island on the right

He represented Miami/ Dade County "..in the United States Congress for 38 years, from 1954 until 1992, when he decided to retire. For the last 18 years of that long and distinguished career, he was Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs."

"He was a .. man who took special satisfaction in building the consensus that is necessary to pass legislation that will last because it has support across party lines."

Fisher Is. auto barge passing cargo ship loading

"He was, especially during the second half of his long tenure, one of the most powerful men in America. He knew and was respected by an astonishing and diverse number of the people who make things happen. There wasn?t anyone in Washington who did not take his phone calls.

"He was an idealist who was quintessentially practical. He rarely allowed legislation to go forward until he had the necessary consensus. I remember one occasion about 15 years ago when something particularly important to him was tied up in committee. I asked him why he didn?t just push it through. He laughed at my naivete and said, "I could push it through but we don?t yet have the votes on the floor. We might as well wait.""

Miami Beach side of the breakwater & seaplane

"He was a true internationalist. He believed that the United States has a lot of important responsibilities in the world that have nothing to do with the military. He was a consistent and effective Congressional advocate of Human Rights issues as a component part of U.S. foreign policy. He was the friend and champion of American foreign assistance programs, and especially of those administered by the United States Information Agency. These include the Fulbright Scholars program, the Voice of America broadcasting activities, and a host of other informational, cultural, artistic and educational programs.

"All of these programs have now fallen on hard times. Many have closed down and the rest are in danger of doing so. And most of that has happened since Dante Fascell retired. The truth is that there was no one to take his place. ..

Pilot Boat taking a pilot out to a moored ship

"He had a wonderful sense of humor which he used to great political advantage. He was a first generation Italian-American who spoke Spanish with his Spanish speaking constituents. He was a comparatively short man who enjoyed calling attention to that fact when it was useful to do so.

"I remember such an occasion along about 1985 at a meeting of the Board of Directors of the National Endowment for Democracy. That was a particularly difficult Board in those years. The Endowment had been created by special legislation in 1983 and had a Congressionally mandated Board which was meant to reflect the full spectrum of American politics.

"There were Democrats and Republicans, labor and business, liberals and conservatives, one Senator and one Congressman..The Senator was Republican Orrin Hatch of Utah; the Congressman was Democrat Dante Fascell."

Bob looking back at the shoreline

"The meetings of the Board were difficult, frequently contentious and they were open to the public.

"On this particular occasion Senator Hatch had tied the meeting in knots over some issue long since forgotten and the Senator simply wouldn't back down. There was a great deal of tension in the room. After this had gone on far too long, Congressman Fascell stood up at his place at the Board table opposite Senator Hatch, and said the following:"

Moored Ships waiting for berths

""Orrin, take a look at me. What you don't know is that a long time ago when I first came to Washington, I was tall and handsome like you. But I took positions like you are doing here today and I wound up short and ugly instead of tall and handsome. And so you really ought to back off before you wind up looking like me!"

"The entire room burst into laughter. Even Hatch, a man who takes himself pretty seriously, had to laugh. The tension was broken. Hatch did back down and we moved on.

"It was vintage Fascell."