A former political reporter is preparing to share his insight with the Eastern community on the tangled path state and national politics took in the past year.

David Yepsen, who worked for The Des Moines Register for 34 years, will discuss these political implications Thursday night as a part of the ongoing Edgar Lecture Series on campus.

Yepsen’s presentation is set to begin at 7 p.m. in the Tarble Arts Center Atrium.

During his career with The Des Moines Register, Yepsen served as the paper’s chief political writer, political editor and political columnist. Every presidential year since 1975, Yepsen became one of the most important journalists in the country reporting from the center of the political storm.

Yepsen became a statehouse reporter for The Register in 1977 and became chief political reporter six years later. In 1994 he was named political editor and in 2000 became The Register’s full-time political columnist. Yepsen also blogged about politics for The Register and appeared as a regular panelist on Iowa Public Television’s weekly “Iowa Press” news interview program for over 30 years.

However, Yepsen retired from journalism in 2009 when he became the director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.

As director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, Yepsen focuses on integrity and ethics in government. The center also spends a lot of time focusing on expanding public opinion polling to develop a database for public attitudes, he added.

During his presentation, Iowa-native Yepsen wants to take a broader approach to politics.

“I want to focus on both national and state politics and how I see the lay of the land on some of the things that have happened this spring in Washington,” Yepsen said. “I’ll also be looking forward to 2012 because much of what is going on is shaped a lot by what political voters will want next year.”

Yepsen said he looks forward to the input from audience members, especially from Eastern students. Another part of Yepsen’s role as director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute is to encourage students to become involved in politics. He added one of the reasons he got out of journalism and took this job is because he wanted to help young Americans.

“I can’t think of a generation in America that has more at stake than the young generation today,” he said. “(The country) is in the middle of fighting three wars and the national debt is going to be placed on today’s generation and their children.”

During his visit to Eastern, Yepsen will also have the opportunity to interact with classes and have an informal political discussion with students. He added it is important for students to take notice of the political climate because in the future, they will have to face Illinois’ financial burdens.

This may include paying more in taxes and receiving fewer benefits.

“There is going to be a lower standard of living if we’re not careful,” Yepsen said. “And I think young Americans realize this and ought to pay attention because they have so much that is at stake.”

Shelley Holmgren can be reached at 581-7942 or meholmgren@eiu.edu.

David Yepsen, a political columnist for the Des Moines Register and director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University, will give a lecture at 7 p.m. Thursday at Tarble Arts Center. (Submitted photo)

(more…)