Senate no grand stage for Graham

For most of his 17-year career, the Florida Democrat has tackled state rather than national issues.

WASHINGTON - The day after Bob Graham gave his first speech on the Senate floor in 1987, he got a call from then-Vice President George Bush. He figured Bush wanted to congratulate him on the speech.

"Hi, Phil," the vice president said. "How are things in Texas?"

It wouldn't be the last time Graham got mistaken for Sen. Phil Gramm, the blustery Republican from the Lone Star State. Indeed, for most of his 17 years in the Senate, the Florida Democrat has played a supporting role while other senators got the spotlight.

Graham, expected to formally kick off his presidential campaign Tuesday, rarely got invited on national TV talk shows. When political magazines chose the most influential lawmakers, Graham usually didn't make the list.

That surprised many Democrats and political analysts who had expected Graham's success as Florida governor would translate to an influential role in Washington.

"There was an expectation that Graham would become a leader in the Senate, that he would stand out," says Larry Sabato, a political science professor at the University of Virginia. "Instead he has been relatively colorless."

Or as political columnist Jules Witcover wrote recently, "For all his experience, Mr. Graham has largely functioned in Washington under the political radar."

It wasn't until last year, when Graham co-chaired the congressional investigation into the Sept. 11 attacks, that he received much national recognition. He was praised for running a thorough and nonpartisan investigation. He was in such demand by the Sunday TV talk shows that he made more appearances in 2002 than any other senator, according to Roll Call, a Capitol Hill newspaper.

His work as chairman "elevated him to a position of leadership," said Thomas Mann, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, a liberal think tank. "It was a moment of genuine triumph for him."

So why did it take 17 years for Graham to achieve that recognition?

For most of his career, he lacked seniority to earn a committee chairmanship, and he focused on issues such as Medicare and the Everglades that are important to Floridians but don't grab national headlines.

He is often ignored by the national news media because of his tendency to give long, complicated answers instead of snappy sound bites. Even when he played a role in a major issue, as he did on tobacco legislation, he was upstaged by louder, more charismatic senators such as John McCain of Arizona.

Graham is "relatively soft-spoken, he is not particularly self-promoting and he hasn't been strongly associated with a compelling national issue," Mann said.

Floridians haven't minded his lack of national stature because he has focused so much on state concerns such as offshore drilling and the Everglades. He has been re-elected twice, with more than 60 percent of the vote each time.

Asked about his lack of national recognition, Graham answers with the kind of wordy response that often keeps him out of Time magazine and the Washington Post: "I have never in my political career acted on the basis of how you get the most attention focused on yourself. That was true in the state Legislature, as governor and now in the Senate. My standard is accomplishing the objective regardless of whoever might end up getting credit for it."

Sound-bite translation: I don't need glory. I just want results.

Over his 17 years in the Senate, Graham has written and passed many bills and amendments that helped his constituents: the ban on offshore oil drilling, better Medicare benefits, more money for veterans health care, aid for citrus and tomato farmers, better seaport security and more federal judges in the state. He has been a leader in the effort to create a Medicare prescription drug program, although Republican opposition has blocked his plan. He has been a strong advocate for governors and state legislatures, raising a fuss when Congress or the president tried to cut state programs.

Norman Ornstein, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank, says Graham is "a workhorse. He's a serious legislator. It's rare to have a set of talents where you can be a serious legislator and an effective executive."

Yet Ornstein says Graham's low profile hurts him. "He is unpretentious and low key. This could be a problem for him. It's not like he walks into a room and the buzz starts. But when (presidential candidates) John F. Kerry or John Edwards walk into a room, the buzz does start."

Graham is a founder of the Senate New Democrats, a centrist group. He tends to vote with his party on economic and social issues but is more conservative on foreign affairs. He voted against the Iraq war resolution not because he is a peacenik, but largely because he wanted President Bush to take action against other nations that support terrorism.

He is famous for waiting until the last minute to make up his mind on controversial issues. He was among the last senators to declare how he would vote on President Clinton's impeachment and, most recently, was the last to announce his intentions on Miguel Estrada, a controversial judicial nominee. He ultimately voted with his party both times, as he usually does after his long deliberations.

Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., says that when Graham is undecided on an issue, a parade of senators stops by his desk on the Senate floor to ask how he is going to vote. Rockefeller says he knows not to ask because Graham won't announce until he's ready.

Graham says he wants to give big decisions the deliberation they deserve rather than rush in.

"I would rather take some additional time to make a decision with the confidence that I am prepared to live with that decision, rather than to be rushed to an early and not fully thought-through decision," he says. "I don't consider (long deliberations) to be anything other than a positive attribute."

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., calls Graham "a very substantive person. Some senators want to speak every time. Some, like Graham, speak when they have something important to say."

THE PLUSES:

1. He can win Florida. The state decided the 2000 election and is likely to play a crucial role in 2004.

2. Middle-of-the-road politics. Graham founded the Senate New Democrats, a centrist group, and has often put together bipartisan bills.

3. Intelligence. Graham often surprises crowds with his knowledge of federal policies and his recall of obscure historical facts.

4. Experience. He has been in the Senate for 17 years and was governor for eight. In his campaign speeches he reminds voters that four of the last five presidents were former governors.

5. Sense of humor. It can be hokey at times and occasionally involves corny songs, but some of his best speeches have had effective punch lines.

THE MINUSES:

1. Lack of pizazz. His first few weeks on the campaign trail left many voters underwhelmed. He speaks in long, complicated sentences that may not be snappy enough for the evening news.

2. Cautiousness. His plodding, middle-of-the-road style may not inspire activists who vote in primaries.

3. His age. Graham is 66, and after having two presidents in their 50s, voters may be reluctant to pick someone older.

4. Little fame outside Florida. He is a political icon in Florida but virtually unknown outside the state.

5. Notebooks. Floridians have long accepted Graham's quirky habit of writing in tiny notebooks, but voters elsewhere may think it is odd.

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