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Baker '52 looks back

During a visit to campus last week, James Baker '52 showed no hint that he had ever left the state department for private life. Seven years after retiring from government work, Baker has not lost the poise and manner that made him famous as a hard-nosed political operator and a gentlemanly diplomat — and his encyclopedic knowledge of world affairs is hardly rusty.

Baker, who worked for three presidents during 18 years, played a pivotal role in shaping American politics in the last quarter of the 20th century. "I led campaigns for Ford, Reagan and Bush. I worked in five straight election cycles and I was chief of staff to two presidents," he said, reciting only part of the laundry list of positions he held.

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For his work as White House chief of staff in Ronald Reagan's first term, Baker is often recognized as the force behind the conservative legislative agenda in the early 1980s. Looking back on his success in the Reagan White House, he said, "It's very satisfying, but it's also very sad. It's very sad to think back on the vibrancy of that president, and to know that you can't even talk to him anymore."

Baker is perhaps best known for his role as secretary of state under President George Bush. "The job that I thought was most rewarding and challenging was secretary of state, because of the time I was there," he said, explaining that the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union made his term as secretary one of great consequence.

"It was a four-year period in which the world changed fundamentally," he said. He added that working with his close friend Bush made the experience better for him. "I really enjoyed myself," he said. "We did our thing and it was wonderful."

In the current presidential election, Baker has endorsed Bush's son, Texas Gov. George W. Bush. Some have speculated that Baker might serve as an advisor in a potential Bush administration, but Baker said that he has no plans to work for another president.

"That's just not in the cards," he said. "I'm 70 years old. I've paid my dues."

Addressing issues in contemporary politics, Baker was not subtle in his criticism of the Clinton administration's foreign policy. He said in a speech Thursday evening that Clinton's handling of American involvement in Kosovo weakened NATO's position in Europe.

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Baker said he believed Bush was successful in diplomacy, "because he understood how to make the national security machinery work."

"There's a certain collegiality that you need," he added, noting that Bush had a knack for forming relationships with foreign leaders. He said Clinton's foreign policy decisions have weakened U.S. credibility abroad and have not contributed to attaining policy goals.

Though he is retired from government work, Baker says he is still keeping himself busy. He works as a personal envoy for United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan and is a senior partner in a Houston law firm, he said. He is also the honorary chairman of the James Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University.

Baker said he does not miss working in government, but added that it was one of the most important experiences of his life. "Public service is rewarding," he said. "If you can give something back, I think you ought to do it."

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