Governor Tom Kean: From the New Jersey Statehouse to the 911 Commission

Alvin S Felzenberg

Published by Rutgers University Press 2006

Governor Tom Kean

From the New Jersey Statehouse to the 911 Commission

Alvin S Felzenberg

https://doi.org/10.36019/9780813539867

Overview
Contents

About this book

Long before Bill Clinton spoke of "triangulation," a term that referred to a centrist governing style, prior to Tony Blair repositioning the British Labor Party midway between Thatcher conservatism and militant trade unionism, and far ahead of George W. Bush referring to his agenda as "compassionate conservatism," there was Tom Kean. From the moment of his election to the New Jersey state assembly in 1967, through his guidance of the 9/11 Commission nearly three decades later, Kean consistently displayed a knack for bipartisan leadership.

In this first political biography of one of the nation's most popular and successful governors, Alvin S. Felzenberg tells the story of a remarkable career that culminated in an unexpected and crucial contribution to the country-chairmanship of the 9/11 Commission. Felzenberg describes how, early in his political career, Kean worked to transform New Jersey's legislature in the aftermath of court rulings that mandated redistricting in accordance with the "one man, one vote" principle. He discusses Kean's efforts to relieve the urban crisis that followed in the wake of the 1967 Newark riots. He relates how Kean was able to use the New Jersey governorship-purportedly the strongest in the country-to transform a so-called "rust belt" state into a leader in education, environmental responsibility, and economic growth.

Kean's successes in these and other areas caused leaders outside New Jersey to follow in his path. Together with his fellow governors, Kean forged a national consensus on domestic policy between Democratic congresses and Republican presidents, in the process winning for himself a leadership role in his own party. Kean's story serves as an uncommon case of how a Republican loyal to the historic roots and principles of his party can not only win election in a "blue state" but effectively govern it.

Starting from the example the governor set on the state level, Felzenberg's account traces Kean's career to positions of trusted authority on the national stage. After several years of advising presidents, Kean was appointed chairman of the 9/11 Commission. In this role, he made the bipartisan, Congressionally mandated commission one of the most successful in American history.

Drawing on interviews with Kean as well as with state and national leaders, including former presidents Gerald Ford and Bill Clinton and former New York City mayor Ed Koch, Felzenberg not only provides a marvelous biography, but also offers a unique look at American politics during the last four decades of the twentieth century.

Author information

Alvin S. Felzenberg was Principal Spokesman for the 9-11 Commission and for its non-profit successor organization, the 9-11 Public Discourse Project. More recently, he was a fellow at the Institute of Politics at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Felzenberg held several senior level posts on Capitol Hill, served in two presidential administrations, and, in the 1980's, was New Jersey's Assistant Secretary of State. His writings have appeared in the Washington Post, Philadelphia Inquirer, Boston Globe, Weekly Standard, Christian Science Monitor and other publications and he has been a guest on major public affairs television and radio broadcasts, including CNN, Fox News, C-SPAN, and National Public Radio. Felzenberg holds a Ph.D. in Politics from Princeton University and an M.A. and B.A. from Rutgers University.

Reviews

"Tom's demonstrated commitment to bipartisanship and fact-finding uniquely qualified him to chair the 9/11 Commission, a task he carried out with his customary fairness and effectiveness. . . . He is a wonderful man and a genuine patriot, and I am grateful Al Felzenberg's fine biography does justice to Governor Kean's outstanding legacy.
"

— Bill Clinton

"In retracing Kean's steps from the New Jersey Statehouse to the 9/11 Commission, Felzenberg shows how Kean, in his understated way, was so often able to persuade presidents, Congresses, and his fellow governors to move in the direction he envisioned for New Jersey and our whole nation. It is a fascinating story and a delightful read.
"

— Jack Kemp, former member of Congress (R-NY) and former secretary of HUD

"Al Felzenberg has written a first-class biography of a first-class public servant. Tom Kean has contributed his entire professional career to public life but perhaps his greatest accomplishment is his latest. With grace, wisdom, and purpose, he led the bipartisan 9/11 Commission to produce a report of such force and clarity that it surely will be viewed by history as a major contribution to the security of the American people.
"

— Joe Lieberman, U.S. Senator

"The life and times of New Jersey's 48th governor, his many pluses and few minuses, are explored in detail in Alvin S. Felzenberg's voluminous biography of Tom Kean.
"

— The Star Ledger

Topics

General Interest

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
Preface Publicly Available Download PDF	ix
Acknowledgments Publicly Available Download PDF	xv
Prologue Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
1. The Early Years Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	3
2. Kean Comes of Age Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	27
3. In the Service of His Father Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	48
4. Kean Finds His Calling Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	61
5. The Precocious Freshman Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	87
6. The Institutional Reformer Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	112
7. In the Minority But Not in the Wilderness Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	132
8. The Making of the Governor, 1981 Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	156
9. A Truncated Transition Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	181
10. Kean Settles In Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	196
11. Building New Jersey Pride Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	219
12. The Education Governor Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	252
13. Kean and the Arts Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	258
14. Kean the Environmentalist Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	280
15. The Politics of Inclusion Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	294
16. The Administrator Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	312
17. The Reelection of the Governor, 1985 Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	330
18. The Storm over the Wilentz Case Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	347
19. Kean Reforms Welfare Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	359
20. The Man with the Message Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	368
21. Citizen Kean Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	386
22. Chairing the 9–11 Commission Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	405
Epilogue Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	443
Interviews Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	451
Notes Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	455
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	525
About the Author Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	559

Language: English
Publisher: Rutgers University Press
Audience: General/trade;
Pages
- Main content: 578
Illustrations
- Other: 30

eBook

Published: May 12, 2006
ISBN: 9780813539867