Former Sen. Edward Brooke accepts the Congressional Medal Gold Medal in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol.

By Pamela Gentry, Senior Political Analyst

Oct. 28, 2009 –Sen. Edward Brooke, the first African-American man elected by popular vote suggested to lawmakers gathered to honor him Wednesday to put aside partisan bickering and work together.

Brooke, 90 years-old, said to Republican and Democratic lawmakers gathered in the packed Rotunda of the Capitol, “We’ve got to get together.”  Acknowledging Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Brooke added, “We have no alternative. There’s nothing left. It’s time for politics to be put aside on the back burner.”

The president departed the ceremony before Brooke’s remarks but delivered a similar message.   “He didn’t care whether a bill was popular or politically expedient, Democratic or Republican — he cared about whether it helped people, whether it made a difference in their daily lives,” Obama said.

“When pressed to define himself, he’d offer phrases like “creative moderate,” or “a liberal with a conservative bent.”  But in truth, Ed Brooke’s career was animated not by a faith in any particular party or ideology, but rather, by a faith in the people he served,” the president said.

President Barack Obama and former Sen. Edward Brooke.

The late Sen. Edward Kennedy,( D-Mass.), along with other lawmakers introduced the legislation to give Brooke Congress’ highest award.  Kennedy’s widow, Victoria Kennedy and son Rep. Patrick Kennedy, (D-R.I.) attended the ceremony.

Oct. 28, 2009 – President Barack Obama  joined members of Congress in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol Wednesday to honor former Sen. Edward W. Brooke (R-Mass.) with the highest civilian honor; The Congressional Gold Medal. 

Former Sen. Edward Brooke (R-Mass.)

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) requested the honor for the African-American senator she credits with forging the support for the voting rights bill. Norton credits Brooke for reaching out to his fellow Republican colleagues and wooing them to support the bill that also made it possible for Washington, D.C. residents to have a representative in Congress.  

Brooke a native of D.C. represented Massachusetts from 1967-1979. As the first popularly elected Senator after Reconstruction, Brooke will be receiving this honor while disappointed D.C. residents remain waiting for full voting rights participation in Congress. 

“Wednesday’s ceremony will help drive home the disempowerment of D.C. residents as Congress gives its highest honor to our native son, who left his hometown, unable to vote for president, mayor, House representative, or senator, and became our nation’s first popularly-elected African American senator,” Norton said.

Norton has been close to getting a bill through both houses of Congress – but has faced some obstacles.    Earlier this year, she was able to get the bill passed in the Senate,  and she worked for months to get the legislation moved in the House – but was bogged down before final passage because an amendment that would weaken bans on  lethal guns attached was added to the  Senate version.

 “Norton is encouraged by responses to a detailed proposal she submitted after months of research to attach the bill to the Defense Appropriations bill or to use any of several other ways Norton has found to get a clean D.C. House Voting Rights Act passed,” Norton said.

 You may recall Brookes made news earlier this year when journalist  Barbara Walters disclosed in her book she had had an affair with the senator while he was in office.