Posted on 08/08/2011 11:47:01 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Former senator Mark O. Hatfield of Oregon, whose liberal Republican politics during five terms in Congress made him an increasingly rare breed within his party, and who used his chairmanship of the Appropriations Committee to denounce what he considered the “madness” of excessive defense spending, died Aug. 7 at a care facility in Portland.
He was 89. He had congestive heart failure, among other ailments, according to his son Mark Jr.
As a young Navy officer during World War II, Mr. Hatfield saw the devastation wrought by atomic warfare in the Japanese city of Hiroshima. That experience, coupled with his Baptist faith, were defining forces in shaping Mr. Hatfield’s political views during nearly half a century in elected office.
He became an opponent of abortion, the death penalty and war — a “consistently pro-life” politician, said Oregon political scientist Bill Lunch, “who took the religious injunction not to do harm to others seriously.”
During his three decades on Capitol Hill, Mr. Hatfield was one of the Senate’s most unwavering pacifists. He joined George S. McGovern (D-S.D.) in sponsoring a 1970 amendment to bring U.S. troops home from Vietnam; spearheaded an effort with Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) to freeze the nuclear arms race; and, in 1990, was one of only two Republican senators (the other was Charles E. Grassley of Iowa) to vote against going to war in the Persian Gulf.
When Mr. Hatfield announced his retirement in the mid-1990s, he used the occasion to criticize President Bill Clinton’s plan to send American forces to intervene in Bosnia’s civil war. “I do not believe we can solve 800 years of history by sending our troops over there,” he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
GOOD! This POS is the REASON we DO NOT have a Balenced Budget Amendment! Uber-RINO!
For those who don’t remember, In 1995, Hatfield was the only Republican in the Senate to vote against the proposed balanced budget amendment, and was the deciding vote that prevented the passage of the bill.
Had he voted for it, the bill would have passed and this country would probably NOT be in the financial mess that it is in right now.
Perfect example of why we need term limits!
Excerpt From the Oregonian which provides a very useful review of Hatfield’s life and career:
http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/08/mark_o_hatfield_oregons_first.html
Hatfield, who had been out of the chairmanship when Democrats took back the Senate in 1986, was swept back into the majority in the Republican landslide of 1994. But he quickly found himself out of step with the revolution-minded Republican conservatives led by House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
In 1995, Hatfield was the only Senate Republican opposing a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced federal budget. Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kans., who planned to use the amendment as a key issue in his upcoming presidential race, put heavy pressure on Hatfield. At one point, Hatfield offered to resign, but Dole rejected the idea.
In the end, the amendment failed by just one vote — Hatfield’s no. That led two freshman GOP senators to try to yank his committee chairmanship. They didn’t succeed, but as a result of the controversy, the Republicans agreed in the future to limit the appropriations chairman to a six-year term.
Also interesting to recall was that Hatfield identified himself as an evangelical Christian whose faith led him to be anti-war, ant-abortion and anti-death penalty. Those positions all squared with his belief in the sanctity of life, he said
nobody should ever be a US Senator for three decades
2 decades+ too long!
Very classy on your part.
BTW, Hatfield was a squish on many issues, but he was also the only pro-life U.S. Senator from Oregon since Roe v. Wade (and the only one from a West Coast state other than Slade Gorton’s pro-life period from 1990-2000).
I worked in Hatfield’s hometown in Oregon as a newspaper editor and had occasion to talk with the man. While I disagreed with his policies, his patriotism was profound, and he was one of the few honest politicians I interviewed. He always treated me with decency and respect, and he took the idea of representative government seriously. RIP
I would love to write “Rot in Hell, bastard” or “Glad yer dead, cupcake”, but I reserve those gems when the likes of Ted Kennedy dies.
May God bring Mr. Hatfield’s loved ones comfort.
Hate to speak ill of the dead but... look in Websters dictionary under the word RINO and you will see his picture.
Is it true that the McCoys are boycotting the funeral?
Too long, so long
Speaking of Ted... in 17 days he will have been sober for 2 years. Well done, Teddy!
When I was a young high school idiot (59-63) that didn’t know how to pour pee out of a boot I was a Student for Hatfield. I won’t say I’ve ever had relations with an animal but if I did it would be less proud of having been a Student for Hatfield. I have a dear female classmate that still lives in Oregon and she also was a Student for Hatfield. We always have a good laugh at reunions. Perhaps not the biggest mistake of my life but close to it.
I can understand the anger at Mark Hatfield’s voting record, especially his being the LONE HOLDOUT against the Balanced Budget Amendment, but this un-Christian hate being poured on him on this thread really disturbs me.
“Had he voted for it, the bill would have passed and this country would probably NOT be in the financial mess that it is in right now.”
He died of shame for his deeds.
He died at 89 years of age of congestive heart failure and other ailments.
If it was shame he died of, he would’ve died younger, not of typical old age.
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