[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 52 (Thursday, March 26, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S3895]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO DAVID YEPSEN

 Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I wish to pay tribute to a native 
son of Iowa as he prepares to leave the nest he has diligently 
feathered for more than three decades. A journalist who has earned his 
keep for 34 years at the Des Moines Register, David Yepsen honed his 
skills as a fair and balanced reporter upon whom his readers grew to 
depend to separate the wheat from the chaff.
  With a few strokes of the keyboard, David Yepsen cut through layers 
of political posturing to identify stalemates at the statehouse or 
expose stonewalling from Terrace Hill. A no-nonsense newspaperman, 
David built a reputation for his astute understanding of Iowa politics 
and policymaking on the local, State, and Federal levels of government. 
From local boards of education to county seats of government, 
statehouse politics, and the Presidential campaign trail, David Yepsen 
knew how to boil down an issue and size up a candidate's prospects.
  Like most Iowans, pomp and circumstance isn't his style. The genius 
of his political commentary is his ability to cut off grandstanding and 
get down to brass tacks. If the political leadership got bogged down in 
partisan gridlock, David would simply explain to voters in his next 
column how their elected representatives were baling political hay on 
the public's dime instead of ironing out the looming State budget 
deficit.
  A shrewd journalist, David Yepsen understood how to cultivate 
contacts and build a reputation built on trust and truth. Cut from the 
gold standard cloth of journalism, David exercised independence and 
discovered that loyalty, like representative government, is a two-way 
street. No doubt the mutual agreement or lively disagreement with his 
subjects, readers, and publishers made his job all the more satisfying.
  Although schooled decades before the Internet, blogs, and other tools 
delivered news to our laptops and cell phones, this seasoned reporter 
embraced the 24-hours news cycle. His profession bears the 
responsibility and privileges granted by the freedom of the press in 
American society. He upheld his end of the bargain by holding 
officeholders, public officials, and candidates accountable to the 
people. But he didn't fall victim to the ``gotcha'' style of ambush 
journalism that adds to public cynicism about the media and politics.
  Instead, David fell back on his commitment to fairness and 
evenhandedness. That is the legacy David Yepsen will leave behind as he 
pursues the next chapter in his professional career. Next month, he 
will hang up his press credentials to assume leadership of the Paul 
Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University in 
Carbondale.
  As I mentioned earlier, David Yepsen for more than 30 years has 
earned his paycheck and served the public as a reporter and political 
columnist at the Des Moines Register. For more than three decades, he 
immersed himself whole hog into politics, issues, and campaigns that 
have colored Iowa's landscape from the Missouri to the Mississippi 
Rivers. David earned a scholarly grasp of public policy that will 
prepare him well for his new position. Hot-button issues in recent 
times have included regulating hog lots; legalizing gambling; preparing 
for natural disasters and flood control; consolidating government from 
the courthouse to the schoolhouse; harmonizing Iowa's production 
agriculture heritage with sustainable stewardship of our natural 
resources; investing in renewable energy; bringing 21st century 
technology to rural areas; developing tourism, parks, and trails; 
balancing needs of an aging society; addressing Iowa's ``brain drain'', 
handling immigration; and juggling interests of labor and business or 
rural and urban. Instead of treating these issues as lightning rods 
that polarize people, David took the opportunity to challenge Iowans, 
whether newcomers or oldtimers, to find common ground that would make 
our State an even better place to work, raise a family, enjoy a 
vacation, earn a world-class education, and retire.
  David could slice through the debate with a lucid and logical 
reminder about just why it matters to taxpayers if the gas tax is 
raised during a recession or why Iowa lawmakers should seize the 
opportunity to take bold steps to restore and improve crumbling 
infrastructure projects. He provoked Iowans to think outside the box, 
choosing flattery or insult when necessary.
  David faced the relentless scrutiny of his readers and also enjoyed 
many personal and professional rewards. Iowa's David Yepsen was often 
called upon by national news organizations for his respected analysis 
of Presidential politics. His departure leaves behind a big set of 
footprints in the fields of Iowa journalism and politics. I will really 
miss seeing ``what Yepsen had to say in the Register'' but wish him all 
the best.

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