Democrat M. Robert “Bob” Carr represented East Lansing in Congress for all but one term between the mid 1970s and the mid ‘90s.
Dave Dempsey was on Carr’s staff for three of those years, and he recently published a biography of his former boss. It's called “From Rebel to Realist: The Career and Legacy of U.S. Congressman Bob Carr."
Dempsey started writing his book about Carr after the former Congressman’s death at the age of 81 in 2024.
He says the time is right for a close examination of the ups and downs of Carr’s political career.
“He was elected in 1974 when the Democrats swept into office because of Watergate, and he left office in 1994 when the Republicans swept back in under Newt Gingrich, and trying to highlight how he got into office and what he did, and why he was swept out, I think, is a really important part of that historical story of our times politically," Dempsey said.
When asked what people get right when considering the late U.S. Representative, Dempsey thinks a lot depends on how old they are, especially if they recall his first, unsuccessful bid for a seat in Congress.
He lost that race to incumbent Republican Charles Chamberlain.
“Those who were around in his first two campaigns in 1972 and 1974 remember accurately, I think, a rebel who was talking about getting us out of Vietnam, changing Congress so it was more responsive to the public, and in general being more progressive on issues.”
After losing his seat to Republican Jim Dunn in 1980, Carr won it back two years later. By then, Dempsey says, Carr was motivated to bring home the bacon.
He was instrumental in bringing millions of dollars to Michigan for projects like highway and airport improvements. It could be argued that he became more effective for his district in the process.
Dempsey notes after that Carr grew to become a part of the system, seeming to settle into a more patient role.
“He was not one to think that it was necessarily bad for legislation to move slowly through Congress,” Dempsey shared. “He said that the business of Congress, in some ways, was to stop bad ideas as opposed to push really good ideas.”
Dempsey thinks Carr’s reputation for arrogance was off the mark. He argues that Carr was more shy than he was cocky.
“Part of his difficulty politically in 1980 was that people thought he was out of touch and kind of high minded or too high fallutin’ for the district,” he said. “He was not that way.”
Bob Carr went into teaching after leaving office. He changed a course title in the Graduate School of Political Management at George Washington University from “Running and Ruling” to “Running and Representing.”
Dempsey observes that Carr had initially contended that money didn’t influence Congressional votes. Later, he came to think that money in Washington can open doors and create relationships.
“So, I think he reconsidered the influence that it has and was becoming an advocate for limiting contributions from special interests, and especially getting rid of dark money, which is the unattributed contributions that come under the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United," he said.
After that, he pushed campaign finance reform, joining other former members of Congress in the ReFormers caucus. Carr discussed that effort with WKAR in 2015.
“I think we basically ask the question which is maybe on the minds of some who think about politics, and that is whether money in politics really supports or has now come to a point of hindering democracy, and, and, we’re troubled," Carr said at the time.
Dempsey writes that Carr had some regrets, including opposition to family and medical leave policies. While FMLA wouldn’t have helped Carr while battling multiple myeloma late in his life, the experience helped him understand how it would have helped people in his district. He would come to apologize for that opposition.
What age can give you in perspective is reflected in how Dempsey starts the book.
He includes a notable 2016 quote from Carr:
“America is not great because it is the most powerful, richest, most democratic, most egalitarian, or most just. It is great because it is so resilient.”
UPCOMING ARTS EVENTS
Pianist Sergei Kvitko will perform a program called "Exit Music: For the End of Time” Thursday, April 30 at 7:30 p.m. in the Michigan State University Music Building’s Cook Recital Hall.
On Friday, May 1, musicians Ann Bell, Greg Rock Sanders and Rodney Todd present “Golden Grooves: A Night of Motown, Blues, and Original Magic” at Urban Beat in Old Town Lansing, starting at 6:30 p.m.
The '80s tribute band Starfarm will be at Grewal Hall in Lansing Friday night at 8 p.m.
Story Transcript
Scott Pohl: With Inside The Arts, I’m Scott Pohl.
Democrat M. Robert “Bob” Carr represented East Lansing in Congress for all but one term between the mid-1970s and the mid-‘90s.
Dave Dempsey was on Carr’s staff for three of those years, and he recently published a biography of his former boss.
For Inside The Arts this week, I talked with Dempsey about the book called “From Rebel to Realist: The Career and Legacy of U.S. Congressman Bob Carr."
Author Dave Dempsey started writing his book about Bob Carr after the former Congressman’s death at the age of 81 in 2024. He says the time is right for a close examination of the ups and downs of Carr’s political career.
Dave Dempsey: He was elected in 1974 when the Democrats swept into office because of Watergate, and he left office in 1994 when the Republicans swept back in under Newt Gingrich, and trying to highlight how he got into office and what he did, and why he was swept out, I think, is a really important part of that historical story of our times politically.
Pohl: When asked what people get right when considering the late U.S. Representative, Dempsey thinks a lot depends on how old they are, especially if they recall his first, unsuccessful bid for a seat in Congress. He lost that race to incumbent Republican Charles Chamberlain.
Dempsey: Those who were around in his first two campaigns in 1972 and 1974 remember accurately, I think, a rebel who was talking about getting us out of Vietnam, changing Congress, so it was more responsive to the public, and in general being more progressive on issues.
Pohl: After losing his seat to Republican Jim Dunn in 1980, Carr won it back two years later. By then, Dempsey says, Carr was motivated to bring home the bacon. He was instrumental in bringing millions of dollars to Michigan for projects like highway and airport improvements. It could be argued that he became more effective for his district in the process.
Dempsey notes after that Carr grew to become a part of the system, seeming to settle into a more patient role.
Dempsey: He was not one to think that it was necessarily bad for legislation to move slowly through Congress. He said that the business of Congress, in some ways, was to stop bad ideas as opposed to push really good ideas.
Pohl: Dempsey thinks Carr’s reputation for arrogance was off the mark. He argues that Carr was more shy than he was cocky.
Dempsey: Part of his difficulty politically in 1980 was that people thought he was out of touch and kind of high-minded or too high fallutin’ for the district. He was not that way.
Pohl: Bob Carr went into teaching after leaving office. He changed a course title in the Graduate School of Political Management at George Washington University from “Running and Ruling” to “Running and Representing.”
Dempsey observes that Carr had initially contended that money didn’t influence Congressional votes. Later, he came to think that money in Washington can open doors and create relationships.
Dempsey: So, I think he reconsidered the influence that it has and was becoming an advocate for limiting contributions from special interests, and especially getting rid of dark money, which is the unattributed contributions that come under the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United.
Pohl: After that, he pushed campaign finance reform, joining other former members of Congress in the ReFormers caucus. Carr discussed that effort with me for WKAR in 2015.
(Soundbite from 2015 WKAR interview)
Bob Carr: I think we basically ask the question which is maybe on the minds of some who think about politics, and that is whether money in politics really supports or has now come to a point of hindering democracy, and, and, we’re troubled.
Pohl: Dempsey writes that Carr had some regrets, including opposition to family and medical leave policies. While FMLA wouldn’t have helped Carr while battling multiple myeloma late in his life, the experience helped him understand how it would have helped people in his district. He would come to apologize for that opposition.
What age can give you in perspective is reflected in how Dempsey starts the book. He includes a notable 2016 quote from Carr:
“America is not great because it is the most powerful, richest, most democratic, most egalitarian, or most just. It is great because it is so resilient.”
With Inside The Arts, I’m Scott Pohl.
