Editorial: A class act announces his retirement

When he was elected to Congress in 1990, Rep. Jim Ramstad vowed to maintain the high standards of bipartisanship, civility and dedication to duty of his predecessor and mentor, Rep. Bill Frenzel.

The partisan divide grew wider and the discourse meaner over the next 17 years. But Ramstad never broke his promise.

On Monday, as he announced his retirement, Ramstad began to hear some of the accolades he is due for nine terms of consistently honorable service to his southwest-suburban district and to the nation. He deserves to hear still more. His has been a class act.

"I've always tried to work with the other side," he told reporters Monday. "I've always tried to find common ground." And then, in a revealing thank-you to his assembled staff, he added, "You care that government works for the people we serve."

Time and again, Ramstad demonstrated that nice guys can get things done in Washington. He serves on the House Ways and Means Committee, one of Congress' most important panels, and has shepherded a variety of tax and health care measures into law.

He was the go-to Republican for advocates of mental health services, aid to the disabled, veterans' services, chemical addition treatment, and law and order. Among his credits are the Violence Against Women Act; the law requiring the government to pay for its soldiers' trips home; and the Jacob Wetterling Act, which created a national registry of convicted child-sex offenders and required community notification of their presence.

Last January, as Democrats took control of the House and passed a six-point "100 hours agenda," Ramstad stood out among members of the new GOP minority. He was the only one who voted with the Democrats on every major bill. Yet he never broke faith with the Republican philosophy of low taxes and limited government.

Ramstad's ability to form genuine friendships across the partisan aisle became notable, too, in part because they are now too rare in government. He was a favorite of the late DFL Sen. Paul Wellstone -- they often flew home together and they joined in sponsoring mental health legislation. His sponsorship of Democratic Rep. Patrick Kennedy, when the nephew of the late president underwent chemical dependency treatment at the Mayo Clinic, turned into a lawmaking partnership.

When Ramstad steps down next year, he'll be a youthful 62 years old -- the same age Frenzel was when he ended his congressional service. That should mean that, like Frenzel, he'll still have much to contribute to public affairs. We hope that unlike Frenzel, who remained in Washington, Ramstad will make his home base in Minnesota. His example is needed here.