Senator Levin speaks at NMU about the art of compromise

After recently announcing his intention to retire at the end of 36 years of service, Senator Carl Levin spoke today as part of Northern Michigan University’s Critical Issues Series.

Senator Levin received a round of applause from the standing-room-only crowd before speaking on one of the dirtiest words in government and politics — compromise.

Levin has been re-elected five times and was named one of Time magazine’s 10 Best Senators in 2006. He says one of the reasons he’s retiring is because he didn’t want to waste time raising money and campaigning when there’s still so much work to be done.

“I’m not looking back; I’m looking forward to the next seven, eight months because there are so many things on my plate right now,” Levin said. “We are trying to find a way out of Afghanistan which will leave them stronger, the Army stronger; we have major problems in Syria and the major impact of people of the huge movement of people refugees from Syria to the country next door.”

“He gave a really great speech about compromise and allowing us to work together as Democrats and Republicans and knowing that someone like that has that type of mindset,” psychology master’s program student Katelin Matazel said. “Hopefully, many more of our representatives will catch on; we will have a better future here in America based on compromise. We could use some.”

Levin’s current Senate duties include chairing the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations within the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. He’s a graduate of Detroit Central High School, Swarthmore College and Harvard Law School.