News & Observer - Sanford funeral draws VIPs, April 22, 1998

By JAMES ROSEN, Washington Correspondent

WASHINGTON -- Republican Sen. Lauch Faircloth, who reconciled with Terry Sanford at the end of Sanford's life to mend a falling-out over their political careers, leads a delegation of U.S. senators and other government officials to Sanford's funeral today.

Faircloth replaced Sanford, a Democrat, in the Senate in 1993 after a bitter campaign between the two former friends. But in a Senate speech Tuesday, an emotional Faircloth remembered Sanford as a political visionary and close friend.

"Never did a man have a greater vision for a state than Terry Sanford had for our state," Faircloth said. "He came to the United States Senate and left an admirable record here with many initiatives that he sought and worked for. One of them is one we are still working on today, and that is to ensure the future stability and security of Social Security."

Faircloth, who paused several times to collect himself, also praised Sanford's achievements as governor of North Carolina and as Duke University president, citing his roles in the growth of Research Triangle Park and in Duke's rise to international stature.

Faircloth and Sanford mended fences in February when Faircloth visited Sanford at Duke University Medical Center in Durham. The Senate on Tuesday unanimously approved Faircloth's resolution honoring Sanford, noting his broad accomplishments and expressing condolences to his family.

Faircloth's aides said he would be joined at the funeral in Duke Chapel by Democratic Sens. Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico, Richard Bryan of Nevada, Dale Bumpers of Arkansas, Wendell Ford of Kentucky, Ernest Hollings of South Carolina, Charles Robb of Virginia, Paul Sarbanes of Maryland and Paul Wellstone of Minnesota; former Democratic Sen. Dennis DeConcini of Arizona; and Republican Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana. All 10 served with Sanford for all or part of his term in the Senate, from 1986 through 1992.

Democratic U.S. Reps. Eva Clayton of Littleton, David Price of Chapel Hill, Bob Etheridge of Lillington, Mel Watt of Charlotte and Mike McIntyre of Lumberton also plan to travel with Faircloth's delegation on an Army C-137 transport plane. So do several officials of the Clinton administration: Education Secretary Richard Riley; Togo West, acting secretary of the Army; and Erskine Bowles, the White House chief of staff.

Former Democratic Rep. Charlie Rose of Fayetteville and a dozen of Sanford's former Senate aides also will join the group flying with Faircloth.

Aides to Republican Sen. Jesse Helms said he will attend the funeral separately.

"It was impossible not to like and admire Terry Sanford," Helms said in a Senate speech Monday. "He was never one of my supporters, nor was I ever one of his. But we were friends, and there was never a hint of discord."

Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts said Tuesday that Sanford had been one of the earliest supporters of his brother, John F. Kennedy, when he ran for president in 1960.

JFK respected Sanford as "a voice of the New South," Kennedy said, and he himself later became close with Sanford in the Senate.

"I think all of us remember him as a senator's senator," Kennedy said. "He was kind, he was fair-minded, he knew the issues of which he spoke and he had a firm backbone of moral authority. His friendship will endure in the hearts and souls of us who were fortunate to know him."

© 1998 The News & Observer Publishing Co. / Raliegh, NC  Used by permission.

Fleishman Commons, Sanford Building
Fleishman Commons
Sanford Building