Welcome back to mid-day on the FM news station. I'm very active. Minnesota's longest-serving Governor Rudy perpich died yesterday. He was 67 years old. He died of colon cancer Rudy perpich was one of the most colorful and skillful politicians in Minnesota History is public life spanning 35 years a dentist for Minnesota's Iron Range Rudy perpich entered politics when he want a spot on the Hibbing School Board way back in 1956 as Governor. Perfect dominated Minnesota's political scene for most of the 1980s. What do I heard the news yesterday that Rudy perpich had died. We sifted through the audio archive here at Minnesota Public Radio put together a radio scrapbook of Rudy perpich his political life later during a shower. We're going to be talking with University Minnesota historian High Berman, and we'd like to hear from you as well and Rudy perpich, but first of all iRadio retrospective of former Governor Rudy perpich, I just read it, explained. What what keeps you going in this business? Sometimes I think it's in your blood and it's going to get out of the meeting at the poles and maybe subconsciously strike out and say we're going to do you say what we were thinking and consequences may be feeling the meet us when we going to get out at one time. You're saying that you're having second thoughts about being in political life in the same time. There's indications that you're already preparing yourself for a larger office now and I have no intention of quitting politics know I'm probably going to happen to me. December 1976. Good morning. This is Bob Potter speaking from the governor's office at the state capitol in St. Paul. This morning we learned who our new governor and a senator will be most likely a current source that when landerson will resign as Governor lieutenant governor. Rudy perpich will become governor will appoint Henderson to the senate seat made bacon, of course by last Tuesday's election of Walter Mondale as vice-president and here is Governor Anderson right now along with the time. His wife Lola and their two children Rudy Junior and Mary Sue. my intentions represent the people of Minnesota in the United States Senate for the next 2 years. Thank you very much Governor at this moment. I'm the happiest person on Earth and next week this time both my feet will be back on the ground. I know one could assume the duties of Governor under better conditions Rudy perpich is a very smart tough political operator who shouldn't be sold short the governor and waiting came out of the rough-and-tumble Arena of Iron Range dfl politics and should be ready for almost anything the rest of the state might throw at him. I think we'll find Rudy perpich and activists colorful Governor. Most people have forgotten that shortly after becoming lieutenant governor in 1971. He grew restless with a non activity of the office threatened to resign and gained both increased responsibilities and a raise in pay in the past 18 months for a pitch has maximized his post as state Bicentennial chairman to build a political base around the state. We're told the lieutenant governor would speak to Any group of a half dozen or more Gather in a church basement anywhere in Minnesota and would put in long long hours making such appearances that effort should give him a head start in seeking election to a full term two years. Hence. Finally don't be fooled by Rudy perpich is Blount style and ethnic syntax. It's typically Iron Range and may to the Metropolitan deer make the new governor sound. None too bright. He's actually very smart. He's tough and politically Savvy and will I expect a choir some Polish? Rudy perpich. His story is classic Americana Minnesota's true-to-life version of Rich Man Poor Man. He is the eldest son of a father who came from Yugoslavia to work in the mines on the Iron Range and the mother who is education allowed her to provide an important service to fellow residents of the Carson Lake Mining locations. She read and wrote letters for the immigrants who couldn't do so themselves state senator George perpich brother of the future governor. Family RV Brother is always short of being leader of the children of the family and various jobs. We've always been workers. We all started in the mind young we had paper route. I will give you the radar on. Eventually not all of it, but we always had chicken and pigs and calls and my father insisted that we worked. capacity being very poor. We're very close growing up through the service and on to graduate school. Franklin Garo was Rudy purposes closest friends. I'm going to remember the early days of poverty call. You didn't have a regular football you how to make a football out of a sack and wrap it up with rubber bands and so forth throughout his career adversary Carl Douglas lawyer the states Bicentennial chairman, who is the son of an immigrant a man who struggled for his own education and saw to it that his brothers went to college to will become Northeastern Minnesota first governor, whatever your politics that says something about the possibilities of the American system. My homework Lopez thinking in politics. Everything else has changed since I've been sitting Governor. I have much more pain no more opportunity to meet with people and see the conditions and I just decided this term that is the most important thing in life and to my family and I'm going to do yeah, whatever I think is right in the If it goes, it doesn't it doesn't go back to my Dentistry. members of the Hibbing High School band 90 of them I do have a square now you'll serve office, but I will support the Constitution of the United States and the constitution of the state of Minnesota, which is about to deliver the annual State of the State message. This is perfect use first major address since he became governor of Minnesota one week ago almost to this very second State of the State message will set forth in general terms some of her pitches legislative proposals and more specific to take and we can do that first when even stronger State housing effort to create productive jobs for construction workers and help people find decent places to live II for the Governor's task force Andrade we established last week to bring state and federal resources to bear on the immediate problem of our farmers are is on the line. Hello. You're on the air. It's been my observation that your Administration is really giving preference to women just because they're women and state jobs and I was wondering how you feel about this is that reverse discrimination not it's really not because if you take a look at the at the population generally and then what goes on in positions of responsibility, you'll see that's completely off-kilter. You know, my daughter is a junior in high school and my son is a senior and we talked about what profession they wanted to go anywhere they want to do when they grow up. They really came home to me at that time that my daughter has her opportunities were very very limited. In fact because of that conversation, I went to the legislature and we passed a bill that now a real professional schools at the university has to report to Committees of the legislature and kind of explain why there were some women color is on the line afternoon. You're on the air. May we have your question, please? Yes, you're on here. Go ahead. Go ahead. Are you Governor? Very very good. Thank you. How are you? First I want to compliment you on a magnificent job you're doing well. Thank you for trying hard November 1978 the next election perpich vs. Republican elk. We for governor elect Al quie the victory over Rudy perpich may have been the sweetest of the three major Republican wins. We was far behind in the polls as late as September and the poles up to election day showed him close, but still trailing Governor perfect scent Quia congratulatory telegram early in the day and offered his help in making the transition of government smooth. Four years later election night again. The reader waiting on longer alola on my family and pinching me to convince me that it's true. I have a lot of people that it is fitting that Rudy perpich chose to end his campaign for governor where he did among friends on the same Iron Range where he grew up on the Iron Range where unemployment Is tragically and we're privileged is regarded as a kind of folk hero how he won. The election is clear first in the primary and then in the general election appealed to what his campaign officials call The Common Man strategy that he is one of us and the election symbolized us against them at the same time Rudy perpich has something to prove to himself. We have proven that we can win a campaign to win election. M&a nfm Avery near future we're going to prove that Rudy perpich is a governor of the entire state of Minnesota. And then he's not just a regional Governor eggs. We understand that all of all of the Minnesota understand that the farmers aren't buying tractors. If you're unemployed in the cities aren't buying automobiles that are iron workers will be out of work. We're all tied in together. How are you different this year in 78 79, of course your environment, you know actual the story many times. I've told her before around on this very program, I grew up in an area that was the like the Falcon like to play bocce ball right then dye. The product is an environment. Well, I went to Vienna and a half years or more like the symphony. I still like to like once in awhile to but before I didn't have the pork and a symphony no. So I have a better view of the world. I say I understand International Market understand World Markets. I didn't travel anywhere. I mean we had everything going our way in Minnesota. So who cares what was going on in the world practically and as a result you change I have a better feel of what life is all about you more confident. Is that what you're telling a complex? There are I mentioned for the reasons that I took off so much that time and is often the highway touring around the state. I feel much more comfortable out there at a coffee shop in a small town and I did the you know in a big city. Why did you have an inferiority complex? Came from poverty. You know everyone else you found was a big shot and we weren't and you almost went to his first 20 years your life. Was that what that kind of psychic and you don't know a girl that goes out overnight. This is midday on the FM news station. You're listening to a radio scrapbook of the late Governor Rudy perpich. We can shape of Minnesota that verse not only for the rest of this decade but also for the 1990s and Beyond. First let's look back to one year ago. We are reeling from one special session to another verify special legislative sessions in one year prompted by a recurring budget crises. You remember March 1986. Let's move on to another listen to the question. Hello Governor purposes listening. But yet in Austin you sent the National Guard in to help bus the union there and how do you get over in your mind? How do you reconcile that and second was there any consideration ever at all about sending a National Guard to protect the workers against the company number locations against if I could have the whole state my living room one evening, I could quote step by step and the funeral to calling out the National Guard and when I completed the people would be fully supported. We were informed the chorus by the mayor was a member of the P9 Union and also by the chief of police and a sheriff if he'll be able to handle any problem that arises so on the day that we called the National Guard and Martin Luther King day. I had calls from all three in a in a conference call. So they asked the National Guard be like got a phone immediately call to Jim guy at NYSEG Jim is Martin Luther King day. I just made a speech on nonviolence 2 hours ago on the front steps. And here I am being asked to call the National Guard and you know my background where I came from. He said I do not like I don't control those people there. I don't know many people that like, I don't know so I'll pack of purposes. He was brought back a purpose of supporting with the mayor and the rest of them told me I didn't have much of a at that point it became very apparent what had to be done. I was told that the thing was getting out of hand and that's why the The guard was called it wasn't there to break the strike. It wasn't there for any other purpose to make sure that there wasn't any violence and then he wasn't hurt. There's nothing more I could have done and I've never done anything different. That's so what comes with the territory in the decision by the governor and it's very it's in the Constitution and I'm just thankful that no one got hurt and I hope I never faced with that situation. Again, November 1986 Rudy perpich versus Republican Cal ludeman non-consecutive term headed north to his native Iron Range and during an appearance at a post-election rally at evala. Thank the people of Minnesota for his dfl victory one more importantly than in any other is that Someone from northern Minnesota from my area can be elected governor and do a damn. Good job being governor. Hi Rudy, Perfect by Rudy perpich do solemnly swear. I solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States in the state of Minnesota and the constitution of the state of Minnesota for which responded to a few other political questions of the day on whether or not he'll reconsider his decision to skip this week's grand opening of the World Trade Center purpose set. His mind is made up the governor said bad publicity about the Saint Paul office tower and criticism of his travels promoting International Trade convinced him months ago. He should detach himself from the project. He originally proposed reverse support of the World Trade Center, but I said, it was like a guerrilla warfare there with the papers were constantly attacking attacking attacking and it came to a point where I felt it was being very damaging to the World Trade Center. That's why we disengage way back in March. The governor was also asked if his summertime ponderings about a presidential bid will result in an Autumn campaign, but he deflected the question by asking how the men. Set of twins are doing pictures of Jennifer and Alcott look like a page out of a campaign schedule with visits to schools of Park project in a senior center, April 1989 planning for a fourth term if he will run again and when reporters asked if the session is telling him to run a retire he had this reply pushing me closer towards running. That's as far as I'm going for an answer to the question who was pushing him to run and in what Manner the governor's I want to let everyone know that present. Mr. Gorbachev were very very impressed and felt very loved by the people of the Minnesota for 7 hours perfect was front and center in broadcast coverage of the Corpus shop visit just days before his dfl colleagues gathered to endorse a candidate for governor. The Gorbachev. Is it along with purchase will we have delegates could make a difference for the incumbent according to dfl analyst Bob Miku says earlier chances for a perfect endorsement or slim chicken ridiculed her for the last three months the governor Goofy and in Newsweek and and certainly branded with all the mansion in car ran in different to Floyd and now it Temperature done in political terms, you're expected as Governor to bring home the bacon and barbecue off get the whole hog this morning. I contacted honey Carlson. I congratulate him on his victory and assured him. There will be a smooth transition election night 1990 Rudy perpich vs Republican Arne Carlson accomplishing his past 8 years. We have made Minnesota a national model in many ways and the campaign. I've often challenged my opponents to name one state that is better than Minnesota. No one could name that one state. That's a great compliment to all minnesotans. I'm back in 1978. When I lost Al quie, I thought it was getting the world. I think I described it as though someone that push me off the edge of a cliff and I found that it was the best years of my life. So Lola and Mary Sue and Rudy are looking forward to this new life again with anticipation. I am I'm not bitter. I'm not unhappy. I am the kind of happy in a way that I know my family for them. It's a blessing. There's no doubt about that in my mind. The fact that I lost the election is a blessing for my family. I know what they'll have. It might be under much less pressure on. It would be much happier and they're happy. I'm happy you're told how he sat in the dark and office certain the good life was forever gone brooding but Along Came Control Data and a job and a life in the capitals of Europe. It was not bad now in response to the Question what's next there is an answer in which the two words International Trade appear jointly, four times and 18 seconds. Perhaps a clue in the short-term corporate is offering his help to governor-elect. Arnie's purposes. Just come back from a three-year-long self-imposed Exile in France and Croatia or he's been running an international consulting firm. But while the former Governor has probably not yet had time to get over his jet lag purpose supporters on the Iron Range are already hard at work in Hibbing, which is celebrating its Centennial this weekend local businessman. Ron gornick says he and others are trying to set the stage for one more purpose come back. We have a nice start run on Howard Street in Hibbing. We got a 25-foot storefront. We have a 24-foot sign above that says 94 good for the range grate for Minnesota listeners guessing for more than an hour before finally making his announcement. You certainly sounded like a candidate calling Arne Carlson a caretaker governor and Minnesota. A stagnant State he ticked off a list of events. He would have tried to attract to the state over the past four years including the Olympics the World Cup Soccer Tournament and a visit from the pope. He ran down a list of projects He would pursue in the future including a downtown Casino a subway system for the Twin Cities and education vouchers for private school students. He said he could win the dfl primary this year, but he said the time is not right for him to be a candidate. I believe the Minnesota has fallen behind in the last 4 years, but not enough for the people to recognize the urgency of innovation like a voucher program for schools and the other programs that have talked about this past month less. I have decided not to run for governor instead. I intend to continue to promote my ideas and run for governor in 1998. September 21st, 1995 Governor Rudy perpich dies at age 67 of cancer. Adidas very difficult explain what what keeps you going in this business? Sometimes I think it gets in your blood and it's my guess you anyway to get out as a beating at the pool. Rado scrapbook of Governor Rudy perpich was produced by Steven Smith with help from Dan Olson and John biewen. but we hope that you found that in lightning and is interesting and Informative as soon as we did if you miss part of the broadcast, by the way, if you miss part of this we're going to be rebroadcasting it tomorrow and you might want to tape it if you're interested at 2:30 tomorrow afternoon in our week in review program. You'll be able to hear hear this program Again the video scrapbook tomorrow at 2:30 here on the FM news station worth a second Listen to I think Good work under very tight deadline. Cyberman is here University of Minnesota historian. Hello. Hi. Hello Gary. I must say that that was a very moving piece set the 20 minutes of retrospective above Rudy perpich his public career, and I think I would urge those will miss any part of it to listen to tomorrow 2:30 tomorrow afternoon have been good enough to come by talk little bit about Rudy perpich his place in history, and also in the time remaining during this hour, that was Abby listening would like to have you join our conversation as well share your Recollections of Rudy perpich how you would write the governor. If you'd like to join the conversation give us a call to 276 thousand is the Twin City area number to 276 thousand or outside the Twin Cities. The number would be one 800-242-2828 Professor a first of all you had a long relationship with the governor that's correct arrived in Minnesota 1961 assistant professor of history of young fresh assistant professor in the first the first pop the thing I try to do is to get to know the state in the region and the Ford Foundation gave a grant to the history Department in the number of Us mystery plan to do some research on the impact of education on the Immigrant minors and their children up in northern Minnesota bus in the summer of 61 up Northern Minnesota learning about the state doing research up there and whom do I meet but the this young my age then young I think we still bookstore New everybody and everybody knew him and he became in fact my informants my contacts. My guide my mentor and things of Iron Range and that's what I told him. I'm 34 years ago, and we've had a relationship closed or not. So close over the last 34 years. You were even kind of a kitchen cabinet advisor for a while. That is correct in the first two years a governor from December of 76 until the unfortunate defeat in November of 78 notice how I'm taking it personally myself. I was informal adviser to the governor and house historian for the administration dust. I had access to everything and everyone was in and out. Although I wasn't paid I still work full time at the university. Did you ever go along on those midnight rides that really would take off and go to the to the to the coffee shops on. Now, it's nobody knew where he was. Well, I want a couple of them on one occasion. I remember we had booked him into a political event at Downtown Minneapolis in which the mayor of Minneapolis was a big and all that in and he disappeared we couldn't find him he ran off somewhere and we couldn't find horseradish cancel his appearance there, but it was embarrassing at all. And when we finally found him, he said you said the sick and tired of these political events. He wants to be by himself with with ordinary folks and I think in a way that was in a kind of insight into his personality is Outlook. Is Independence is Maverick character and things like that. But basically it was also as he admitted in the piece. We just heard that the money came back in in 82. He came back and more sophisticated and worldly more knowledgeable individual and he said that that this was a reflection of his inferiority complex. He said I just heard a few minutes ago, and there's some truth to that remember that that he Was as the peace indicated are you a child of the Immigrant generation Northern Minnesota from the Iron Range whose first language was Croatian and English? Who came into the Rough and Tumble of the Twin Cities world with its sophisticates quote and unquote who laughed at his peculiar accent downplayed his intelligence because his son text wasn't perfect English. Send text with perfect. Although I try to change it for him. Better a New York accent than a northern Minnesota accent in the in the sophisticated Twin Cities apparently, but any case I can see the reason for his feeling of inferiority, but you have nothing to be feeling. Or about he was a remarkable individual I disagreed with him on some occasions. He was on balance of one of the great governors of the 20th century was going to say we're in the pantheon. Does he fit the limits? Of course it to a hundred years a significant breakthrough in the 20th century in terms of public policy an attitude. Now that was made by Floyd B Olson and in the in the thirties and also certainly could be considered one of the most critically important governors of our of our times and I know One would be Harold stassen. I know that there is a tendency among most observers nowadays to laugh at that the Harold stassen because he's a constant candidate for whatever public office is up there including doggcatcher, but Harold stassen modernize the Republican party took it out of its isolationist mode created a Republican party that accepted principles of the New Deal coalition. That is the consensus of the role of government having a particular place in the scheme of Economic Development and social stability, which of course I think we're losing sight of nowadays Harold stassen would be in there. Then after Harold stassen that's comes Rudy perpich after in terms of chronology not in terms of for a second and third button chronology. I think Rudy perpich is one of the three giant governors of the 20th century. 50 years from now. What would he best be remembered for his efforts at the trying to create economic and educational opportunities for the people in the state that these efforts resulted in significant educational reforms and most importantly it also resulted in changing the physical landscape of the state much has been made of the Metrodome and the and the Mall of America and the World Trade Center and stuff like that. But the Pitstop architecture other than the other Hardware that's important here is what was behind it. Be ideal. Child of a Minnesota parent should never have to go through the ear of joblessness and poverty that he had his brothers had to go through I think was what motivated him more than anything else and all of these efforts including the efforts at the international trade which characterizes last year's where in fact designed to make sure the economic development would mean in Minnesota at least jobs for ordinary minnesotans teased about jobs jobs jobs. Exactly. I think that's something that would that would certainly be remembered 50 years, hence. I think that's Depending of course what happens in the next 10-15 years. I think you will also be remembered for fostering certain changes in our social environment be up that the victims of torture Center is something that is a portrait Center should exist a sense of responsibility that also is part of a of a sense of community which is a deeply held and deeply rooted feeling that those of us who come from immigrant environments have I suspect that one of the reason that we're seeing this kind of wild kind of explosion of of irresponsible individualism in our society nowadays is the fact that there is been a loss of community and one of the things that we grew up in Hemet. Communities head was in fact the sense of family and Community as a cohesive unit. Not really had and I guess one of the reasons that was friendly with him. This is comprable the same kind of background that I had he here in northern Minnesota and made in the metropolitan area of New York. Does Archen sidewalks of New York in the chicken farms in New Jersey? So we thought I thought that I think that the that if you look at what he attempted to do it's informed by that you full experience is informed by the fact that in fact, it was public initiatives that made it possible for him to go to school but made it possible for him to go and get it bandaged education for the GI bill that made it possible for him to get in the schools in northern Minnesota this teeth fixed or his shoes repaired and things of that nature. That's kind of ritual. What's the market economy it so let's go back to Social Darwinism what I mean one individual doesn't run rampant University of Minnesota historian High Berman reflecting on Rudy perpich. We have some callers on the line who have also called in with their Recollections Rudy perpich and their thoughts on the governor if you'd like to join them on the line. The number is 227-6000 in the Twin Cities to 276 thousand, or if you're calling from outside the Twin Cities. That number would be one. 800-242-2828. Mike is calling from Princeton. Good afternoon. Hello, how are you? I'm doing fine. I just wanted to Dating Rudy perfect. My understanding is that he set up the pseo program for secondary enrollment auction on June 18th. He graduated from Cambridge Community College associate of Arts degree. He is now a junior at Saint Mary's University. He started there are 26. I'm disabled and all I wanted to say was at the bottom of my heart my heart my kid's heart. Thank you for the perfect. Thank you for your call. A lot of people if they have commented on his commitment to education or no question about that after all if it weren't for education and the opportunities of Education open to him. It would have been an iron ore Miner just as I would have been a chicken farmer now, there's nothing wrong with exactly an good afternoon good afternoon in my early thirties, and it's very interesting with the passing of repurposed that two of the three politicians. I grew up. Where are now gone. The first was Humphrey. The second was perfect in the third with Mondale. The age of politics now is very very different than it was when we were growing up. It's kind of a startling thing yesterday when he died, like he just didn't expect him to die expected tamales to be there kind of pushing the dfl party around a little bit keeping them on their toes Rudy perpich was so closely identified with the Iron Range a real sense of place in his part and parcel of what who Rudy perpich is wise. Can we been anybody else like that? Who was so closely linked to their to their roots? Not really. In contemporary Minnesota politics that I can see at least the fact of the matter is that. It's kind of regional separation and identification that that Rudy grew up grew up with just practically doesn't exist anymore. The range is not what it used to be the existence of of Natalie Statewide but National communication systems television radio, etc. Etc has in fact the kind of diminish the sense of place and most importantly when I mentioned before the absence of a sense of community and commitment, which is this the essence of the Immigrant generation has gone. That was that was what my parents come to to to create through their institutional Arrangements. That's what Rudy's parents attempted to do. And I don't see that being perpetuated in the in my generation for instance or in my children's generation. So therefore I ate a politician with a regional percent of place unless of course at Regional Center place of some kind of amorphous Urban sense of place or Suburban. That's a place that's not possible anymore be just about from anywhere. Mary good afternoon. Your thoughts and ready for picture comments. This guy he was fantastic to me. Chris Paul be something like this and a group of minnesotans getting together and complain about one of his in his appointees and we went out behind a stage in here was a huge man who I thought was huge. I'm 5-7, but he was taller than me and he just shook my hand warmly and my heart was just beating like it is right. Now it's walking to the rest of the minnesotans on the public radio. And I said Rudy one of your appointees isn't doing their job correctly and it was talking about a person who headed up the state human rights department at the time and one by one he listen to our stories and he said I'll look into the matter and a week later. He terminated that individual and what I saw in Rudy was a man who was willing to say, there's some work to be done for the taxpayers of Minnesota and whether you're from real Photo or from the cities or from Central Minnesota. We're going to get that job done. And if one of my appointees doesn't do that job correctly. I'm going to see that somebody else does he wasn't afraid to ear out for all of us to see his mistakes. And I think he was an intuitive 4Runner. He brought us to look globally rather than just myopically at our community and I thought the world of them and I wish there were more like him rather than people who are politicians who are aloof and detached and away from the people of Minnesota that they represent you for your call. Thank you, you are as we noted earlier work with Rudy perpich an unofficial a paid position, but was he was he easy to work for well know he was not very easy to work for very difficult to work for as a matter of fact. He had more ideas. Coming out of his Little Pinkie than that. Most people have coming out of their heads would like ideas for like Sparks that came flying all over the place. He wanted action immediately the other thing of course of the long hours, you know what I had an 8:00 class on Monday Wednesday and Friday and I remember getting calls from him at 1 or 2 in the morning playing a Rudy. I got the class at 8. Come on with this is important import do I know you'll be all right or staying particularly when we were working on things like major dresses or something like that staying in the governor's residence practically overnight just working away working away overnight. He had a kind of of of of energy and it seemed to me at least at the time it was we were younger than that was the 7778. He had the kind of energy and seems like he Had no need for for sleep. Now that it was not just an occasional thing and it was hard to do but it was exciting. It was exciting we're talking about Rudy perpich today high Berman is here University of Minnesota his starring and some callers on the line. If you'd like to join them to 276 thousand is our number to 276 thousand outside the Twin Cities one. 800-242-2828. Jeff is on the line from Chisago City. Hello. Anybody else has noticed this or if it's just me but honest discussion about Rudy perpich kind of reminds me of the passing of Harry Truman when he died and some of the same idiosyncrasies and and decisive nature of the gentleman and the Willing not to be led around by consultants and maybe a willingness to put the state of the country for Over there on appearance or Persona and it makes me a little nervous at this may be the end of the line that the give me the next generation of my generation will be able to produce people who can make cool at the guts to make unpopular decisions. Like we talked we heard him speaking about the National Guard what was right or wrong in the strike? And it reminds me of Truman discussing dropping the bomb and I guess I'm going to miss him being there. I wasn't always agree with him, but I'm going to miss him and I wonder if anybody else has noticed this similarity in the two characters all hang up now. Thank you. That's when the politicians go, bye-bye. What is the public settlement public opinion instead of leading to they follow and of course of the that the trend Moment becomes know the kind of pressure of the moment and as a result is a kind of up of almost a kind of look up escalating effective. Listen to end result is it comes to crash and there's a stirring and quick turn the other way. That is something that is done done done done largely because subject of instant communication television and some of them and so on and so forth which instead of being democratizing has actually been demoralizing in many ways Rudy perpich came into into Political life up at a time when television was in its infancy when radio was the big thing. I should have to come now. Campaigning with a personal thing he went from place to place nowadays. You can't painting as a photo op with a bunch of people just running after you I'm afraid of the caller is up that has reason to fear. I don't know where the next generation of politicians that I didn't get the guts the gumption the nerve to go against popular Trends are the popular Trend right now is to downsize and cut back on everything. Let's the downsizing cut back until we got nothing left in the great state of federal government and then we'll have to build up again and all that. That's ridiculous. That's just last June on Almanac When one country to this General belief that the we got to cut back on government is it when I had bad teeth it was in the school. It was fixed when I had to go to school the GI bill to take me to school. We don't have anybody with a gumption the guts to say that right now the dfl wouldn't say that the Democrats are falling down on the on the on on their role as being the Defenders of this. They're all jumping on the bandwagon of market economics of a kind of market economic that led to the Great Depression of 1929 to 1939. Let's not forget that downsizing and market economics was in fact the whole basis of the economy of the 1920s. It was tried failed. Let's try something different. Nobody has the guts to say that John your next as a former legislator who served with him and his two brothers that Tony and George and all three of them were interesting in their own right and and they're quite a lot of fun. However after I left the senate in 1972, I became one of those that black-hearted lobbyists and I was a Republican and of course the background quite seriously, but I went up to went to Rudy's birthday parties up in Chisholm and it was held at the I think of Serbian Orthodox Church. One of the Orthodox Church is up there and they had just marvelous food and what have you and yet all these people in that room were they took their tfl politics very seriously and he's though situation for me by Introducing me to the crowd as a republican but is a real fine person and boy, they cheered and then clapped and I just made some wonderful friendships with the with the local people who are just really genuine and wonderful people but Rudy and Lola both treated me very kindly up there at that time. In fact I side with them the rest of the evening and so I I enjoyed their company and I had followed Rudy around all the while I was laughing and while he was in office then the sad in many meetings that was a part of the day that he announced the woman in and congratulate him on the Turning politics in Minnesota. Was genuine is your hearing from other people and he was very nice to me. Although I was a republican when he was when he was the Lieutenant governor and president of the Senate he tasks me on several occasions to act is the president pro camping and that wasn't done very off to the opposite side. But I appreciate that very much. Thanks for your Recollections. At least one more call John couple minutes ago Haberman talked about the long hours that they Governor can I was in the legislature all the while he was governor and I said hello and you said you're busy this month or this year taxes to the state was just something fierce he when he was on like that it was infectious if it made you know that this was important than that and proud to be over there in the in the I don't think we're ever going to see his like thank you, sir. Well Professor we're about out of time here was we have to put a wrap on it. Yes. Helium in 30 seconds or less got a lot of criticism at the end of his term. I mean, we've been spending all this time time. Oh, what a great man. He was watching for it. But he came in for some heavy heavy criticism at the end wasn't fair or was she treated unfairly the affair partner into syrup. He he he was not a good loser that that said that was part of it. But then on the other hand he came in for a lot of ridicule that the that he didn't deserve it. I mean that govern a goofy thing. I mean those politicians who put that on him would give their eyeteeth that sell their soul to have the kind of report that he had with the with the people of Minnesota, even though he lost that last election that was unfair they made the LARPing on condition of a son that was unfair the insistence on the Bluetooth politically motivated his lifestyle. Was that of a kind Marie Antoinette film kind of Aristocrat living in in Grandeur in that in that mansion that was unjustified and part. It was a longtime kind of of frustration and part. It was a Justified being attacked just by reaction to the constant attacks upon him. Thanks for coming by today. Be quite welcome. Good talking with you University Minnesota History Professor Cyberman reflecting on Rudy perpich like to thank all of you for joining us this hour. I get a reminder. We will be re-running that special radio scrapbook on Rudy perpich featuring Rudy perpich and will broadcast that tomorrow at 2:30 tomorrow afternoon on the FM news station. If you'd like to hear it again, maybe you want to tape it. It is good if you missed missed it 2:32 tomorrow afternoon will be rebroadcast in that.