Former Rep. Lindy Boggs of Louisiana Dies

ABC - AP ^ | 7/27/2013

[Borges]

Former Rep. Lindy Boggs, a plantation-born Louisianan who used her soft-spoken grace to fight for civil rights during nearly 18 years in Congress after succeeding her late husband in the House, died Saturday. She was 97.

Boggs, who later served three years as ambassador to the Vatican during the Clinton administration, died of natural causes at her home in Chevy Chase, Md., according to her daughter, ABC News journalist Cokie Roberts.

Boggs' years in Congress started with a special election in 1973 to finish the term of her husband, Thomas Hale Boggs Sr., whose plane disappeared over Alaska six months earlier. Between them, they served a half-century in the House.

[Borges]

[Huntress]

RIP

[dfwgator]

A socialite is not going to do this district any good in Congress."

But a "socialist" would, eh?

[Gay State Conservative]

Reminds me of a "letter to the editor" that National Lampoon published not long after Hale Boggs's plane disappeared in Alaska:

"Dear Sirs, HEY,WE'RE OVER HERE! signed:Hale Boggs,Over Here,Alaska

[onyx]

Cokie’s mom.

[Tupelo]

RIP Mrs. Boggs.
I do find it interesting that Mrs Boggs, like so may other former members of Congress never go back “home”. That is because after all Washington, the seat of power becomes home and after they retire to that high paid lobbying job they never have to go back and see those hicks back in the sticks.

[onyx]

Maybe I should have written, “Cokie Roberts’ mom.”

[Black Agnes]

Why is it that evil people seem to live forever?

[onyx]

You’ve heard the old adage, “only the good die young.”
I don’t put much value into those things, do you?

[Black Agnes]

Soros still breathes air. Tony Snow is dead.

Doesn’t seem fair does it?

[RouxStir]

I only met her a couple of times but I do remember that she was extremely kind to my four great aunts who were Sisters of Mercy. They all taught at schools in the N.O. area for decades...long after the convents had been closed, she allowed them to have free use of her home in N. O. when they returned to the city to visit former students and school staff.

[sakic]

I think you’re confusing evil people with women. It’s from an old bit from Robert Klein.

[nomifyle]

She had a lovely home on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. It was open a couple of times of year for tours.

[dfwgator]

You’ve heard the old adage, “only the good die young.”

More like, "The Devil takes care of his own."

[Eric in the Ozarks]

She's not unique in not returning.
The 10 counties surrounding DC are home to hundreds of former office holders who don't want to go home.

[robowombat]

I do find it interesting that Mrs Boggs, like so may other former members of Congress never go back “home”.

She actually continued to maintain as her residence of record a really nice house in the French Quarter for a number of years after leaving Congress. When she was about 88 she sold the house in NOLA as traveling was more than she could do and lived near her two children. This is a little different than most such as Sen. Bennett Johnson who has lived in his palazzo overlooking the Chesapeake Bay ever since leaving the Senate.

Unlike many female Congresscritters, who are horrible harridans Mrs. Boggs was a very nice person whose staff members were well treated in the traditional southern paternalistic fashion.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Borges.

...according to her daughter, ABC News journalist Cokie Roberts.

[fieldmarshaldj]

RIP.

[dtrab]

Why are you attacking Lindy Boggs? She was a pro-life female Democrat, so she refused to give in to pressure from the media and her partisans regarding stereotypes. She supported civil rights when many Southern Democrats supported segregation. If she were in politics today, the Democratic party and much of the media would be calling her a right-wing extremist. I respected Lindy Boggs.