Former Presidential Hopeful Discusses Homeland Defense

Two former senators who co-authored a report predicting terrorist action before the Sept. 11 attacks spoke to a packed audience at the Kennedy School of Government’s ARCO Forum last night.

Gary Hart, who faded from public view 14 years ago after a failed presidential bid, discussed the current measures to bolster homeland security with friend and fellow former senator Warren Rudman.

Hart’s (D-CO) and Rudman’s (R-NH) co-authored government report, released in February 2001, identified gaping holes in the internal security infrastructure of pre-Sept. 11 America.

Titled “Road Map for National Security: Imperative for Change,” the report predicted massive loss of life on American soil and advocated an immediate and extensive overhaul of the complex bureaucracy responsible for homeland security.

And it was widely ignored.

Rudman described his reaction the moment he learned of the Sept. 11 attacks.

“My God... We were right,” he recalled thinking.

The former senators said that security will never be perfect and that acts of terrorism can never be fully eradicated.

Still, Hart and Rudman applauded the steps that are now being taken to improve the existing system—steps they said they recommended long before the attacks.

Both panelists expressed their general approval of the Department of Homeland Security proposed by President Bush, now being debated by Congress.

But Hart said he was disappointed that no high-ranking officials were fired or offered to resign in the wake of Sept. 11.

“Somebody has to be held accountable,” he said.

Emory Mayfield and Dan Jones, second-year public policy students at the Kennedy School who were in the audience, agreed that the government is making considerable strides toward improving national security.

“Given the magnitude of the [Department of Homeland Security] and the processes of Washington, I think they’re doing a pretty good job addressing those fundamental issues,” said Mayfield.

Jones emphasized the accuracy of the February report.

“If you want permanent homeland security, just look at that report,” he said. “They’re prophets in that regard.”

Beyond the discussion itself, one of the most compelling aspects of last night’s event was the inclusion of Hart as one of the panelists.

The American public last heard from Hart in 1988, when his political career was stopped short by questions about his moral character.

Hart enjoyed a considerable lead in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.

But his ambitions were squelched on the issue of marital fidelity.

What is often remembered of Hart’s presidential campaign is a photograph of him on a yacht, named “Monkey Business,” with a young blonde named Donna Rice sitting on his lap.

Hart eventually withdrew his bid for the presidency, after an ensuing media debacle, leaving the first George Bush a clear path to the White House.

Last night, Hart joked about his past.

“It’s better to be a has-been than a never-was,” he said.