Posted on 05/23/2006 8:22:51 AM PDT by Brian Mosely
HOUSTON (AP) — Lloyd Bentsen, a courtly Texan who represented the state in Congress for 28 years and served as President Clinton’s first treasury secretary, died Tuesday morning, his family said. He was 85.
Bentsen, also the Democratic 1988 vice presidential nominee, died at his home in Houston.
His distinguished political career took him from the humble beginnings of a county office in the Rio Grande Valley in the 1940s to six years in the U.S. House, 22 in the U.S. Senate and two in the Clinton Cabinet, where he was instrumental in directing the administration’s economic policy.
RIP
In 1970 he ran to the right of a Texas Congressman in the race for the US Senate. That Congressman was George H.W. Bush. I DO believe in some important ways he was more conservative than H.W.
Thanks for posting that bio on Lloyd. I lived not far from his ranch for quite some time. There was lot more to the man than one campaign debate quote.
The guy who declared the Street Sweeper a destructive device (and other firearms as well). Buh-Bye.
Agreed - but now he and Jack Kennedy have one more thing in common.
I'm sorry but I can't generate any sympathy. He has his eternal reward.
It flips back again in '08, right? Aren't we blue in '08?
I would agree that this War Hero is in a good place now.
I'm sure you'll have some good ones about your offspring, eventually!
Well, he was no...... nevermind......
Good one!!!
The problem with that, of course, would have been that Quayle was trying to compare himself favorably to JFK. To be honest, JFK had some good points (for a Democrat), but then so did Truman and FDR. Too bad they don't make 'em like that anymore.
We are supposed to switch to blue - but it may be so entrenched in pop-culture that the Networks keep it red.
ping
Thanks
In 1970 Bentsen ran in the Dim Primary against the liberal incumbent Senator Ralph Yarborough. He ran a campaign so conservative George Wallace would have been pleased.
Then he turned a little to the center for the general elec tion, but still to the right of Bush who was regarded as a moderate by then(after serving two or three terms in the House).
After he was elected he became a center-left type Senator. The problem was most Texans still regarded him as an old line conservative Southern Democrat. You know the old saying "You can fool some of the people all of the time". And he fooled just enough of the people to keep him in office.
Had he not drifted to the left to appease the Liberal Party Structure, he could have been a great Senator.
Thanks
While I do not agree with any of the politics of the Democrat party, I will not be disrespectful of someone who was both a veteran and a public servant.
Yes, Lloyd Bentsen was a Democrat. But he also served Texas and this nation in a number of capacities. For those factors alone, he at least deserves respect in death. He definitely does not deserve to be called a "turd".
Your comments are full of hate and are in line with those who post over at DU.
BTW, the one thing all Texans don't like is a "Yankee".
You're welcome, but I have to give credit where it is due: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1493995/posts#28
"Red" has advantages too - remember that an entire generation of voters have never lived under the U.S.S.R.
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