Carl Levin to speak at CMU next month
U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., will visit Central Michigan University on Nov. 22.
Levin, who also is chairman the Senate Armed Services Committee, will be the inaugural speaker for the Philip A. Hart and William G. Milliken Endowed Speaker Series for Integrity in Politics.
Pamela Gates, interim dean of the College of Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences, said Levin was the preferred choice.
“Senator Levin was asked to be the first speaker because he was the choice of (former) Gov. Milliken and Jane Hart (his widow),” Gates said. “Both Jane Hart and Governor Milliken know Senator Levin personally and have the highest level of respect for him.”
Sarah Buckley, coordinator of Marketing and Events, said Levin agreed to be the inaugural speaker without financial incentive.
“Senator Levin is not accepting an honorarium for his talk at CMU,” Buckley said.
Political integrity
The basic theme for the event is integrity in politics, Buckley said.
Levin not only agreed to speak at the series free of charge, but also is covering his travel expenses himself, Gates said.
“He would not even allow us to cover his travel expenses. His generosity in giving us an evening of his time and his high standards of and commitment to ethics in politics makes him a natural choice for this program,” Gates said.
The senator was originally scheduled to speak on Oct. 13, but was forced to reschedule.
“Given the major commitments that our senators and representatives have in Washington, D.C., right now, we needed to wait until Senator Levin had the time in his schedule to travel to CMU,” Gates said. “That has been the biggest challenge and the reason for rescheduling his talk from Oct. 13 to Nov. 22.”
Despite the hassle of rescheduling and hectic atmosphere surrounding D.C. right now, Levin’s press secretary Tara Andringa said he is eagerly awaiting the event.
“Sen. Levin is looking forward to speaking at CMU on Nov. 22,” Andringa said. “He is greatly honored to be the inaugural speaker for the Philip A. Hart and William G. Milliken Endowed Speaker Series for Integrity in Politics.”
