[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 25 (Wednesday, February 28, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S1682]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO SENATOR ALAN CRANSTON

  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, on the morning of the last day of the 
20th century, as he was preparing his breakfast, Alan Cranston died at 
his home in Los Altos. After 86 years, his great huge heart just 
stopped.
  There can never be a good time to lose someone like Alan Cranston. 
Such leaders are too rare. Still, there is something fitting about Alan 
Cranston leaving us just as the century came to a close. It was almost 
as if, having spent his life working to protecting us the darker 
possibilities of the 20th century, he held on until the last day in 
order to see us safely to the new century.
  I first came to know Senator Cranston from a distance. He was four 
years into his second Senate term, and had just been elected Democratic 
Whip, when I was first elected to the House. That was back in 1978.
  Studying Senator Cranston from the other chamber, I realized early on 
that he possessed a rare balance. He was a standard bearer for great 
public causes--and he was as good a behind-the-scenes organizer and 
vote counter as I have ever seen. He was a pragmatic idealist.
  I also noticed something else about Alan Cranston back then. I 
noticed that he listened respectfully to all kinds of people and very 
often, just by listening, was able to bring people together. In this 
practice, and in many others, I have tried since then to follow his 
example.
  Another thing I admired about Alan Cranston was his tremendous 
running ability. From the time he was in high school, he was a champion 
sprinter. In college, he was a member of the nation's fastest one-mile 
sprint relay team in America, and he remained a competitive runner most 
of his life. At one point, I understand, he held the world record for 
the 100-yard dash among 55-year-olds. As a 53-year-old runner who is 
not likely to break any speed records soon, I find that amazing. I also 
find it a little ironic--because in politics, Alan Cranston was no 
sprinter. He was a marathon runner.
  When Alan Cranston signed on to a cause, it was for life. As a 
reporter in Europe in 1936, he was among the first to recognize the 
evil of fascism for what it was. He chronicled the rise of Hitler and 
Mussolini. When he discovered that Hitler had authorized the export of 
a sanitized copy of Mein Kampf to America, he acquired a copy of the 
German text and had it translated accurately, with all its hideous lies 
restored. He sold copies for 10 cents--thus giving America some of its 
true glimpses into the real Hitler.
  A copyright infringement lawsuit brought by Hitler himself eventually 
forced Alan Cranston to stop selling copies of Mein Kampf in America. 
But nothing could ever stop him from speaking out against oppressors of 
freedom and human dignity.
  In 1946, Alan Cranston met Albert Einstein, who persuaded him that 
nuclear weapons must be banned or they will destroy the human race. 
From that day until he died, Alan Cranston was a tireless champion in 
the effort to monitor nuclear arms and reduce their use.
  During his years here in the Senate, he also championed an array of 
other noble causes--from the environment, to civil rights, to the men 
and women who serve in our nation's military.
  Literally and figuratively, Alan Cranston was a towering figure in 
this Senate for nearly a quarter of a century. He was an example to 
many of us and to me personally. I am proud to say he was also a 
friend.
  With some sadness, and with gratitude for his lifetime of service to 
our nation, I join my colleagues in honoring the memory of Alan 
Cranston and conveying our deep regrets to his family--especially his 
sister Ruth, his son Kim, and his granddaughter--as well as his many 
friends across this country and around the world. Alan Cranston was 
loved in this Senate, and he will be deeply missed.

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