The View From Both Ends of the Avenue

Former Senator Baker gave the keynote address at the 21st Annual Student Symposium of the Center for the Study of the Presidency. From his vantage point of having served both in the White House and in Congress, he encouraged greater proximity between the two branches. He believes that better relationships and better practical arrangements between the president and congressional leaders are the only way to solve the nation’s pressing problems. “It’s harder to say nasty things about somebody you’re apt to see in the hallway every day,” he said. Baker, who also served as President Reagan’s chief of staff in 1987 and 1988, grew up in a political family. His father and mother were both members of Congress and his father-in-law was the Senate minority leader Everett M. Dirksen (R-IL). close