Posted on 01/03/2015 2:34:42 PM PST by Borges
Edward Brooke, the Massachusetts Republican who was the first African-American to be popularly elected to the US Senate, died on Saturday at the age of 95, the state Republican Party said.
Brooke was Massachusetts attorney-general when he was elected to the US Senate in 1966, at a time when the country was gripped by racial unrest.
Before his election, there were two other African-American senators shortly after the Civil War. But until early in the 20th century, senators were picked by state legislatures and not by popular vote.
In the Senate, Brooke joined a small band of liberal Republicans who often went against the wishes of the Republican president, Richard Nixon.
(Excerpt) Read more at straitstimes.com ...
The way the founders wanted. Repeal the 17th
He was involved in an affair with Barbara Walters at a time he was married to another woman.
Our problems go way back. I consider Nixon to have been pretty Liberal. But there were Liberal Republicans who opposed him. And things have just gotten more Liberal as time has gone on -- with the exception of Reagan who was an incredible anomaly.
His 1978 primary indirectly led to the defeat of Michael J. Dukakis in the democrat primary.
RIP.
Brooke looks whiter than a lot of Italian Americans.
Oldest living Senator is now John Glenn.
>>Our problems go way back. I consider Nixon to have been pretty Liberal. But there were Liberal Republicans who opposed him. And things have just gotten more Liberal as time has gone on — with the exception of Reagan who was an incredible anomaly.
Lincoln was a liberal. Reagan and Goldwater were the anomalies. I don’t know why people are so surprised that, now that the Progressives are confident enough in their victory to unmask, there are Republicans coming out as Progs.
Just as an interesting fact, had Brooke remained in his Senate seat until his death, today would’ve marked 48 years to the day when he assumed his first term (Jan 3, 1967), which would’ve been 8 terms precisely.
I always knew “Headstart” was up to no good!
You can’t judge the politics of that era in terms of “liberal” vs. “Conservative.” By your reckoning, you’d tie Conservatism to the support for the institution of slavery, and that is simply wrong.
Wonder if she will attend his funeral!
I was surprise he was still among the living.
>>You can’t judge the politics of that era in terms of “liberal” vs. “Conservative.” By your reckoning, you’d tie Conservatism to the support for the institution of slavery, and that is simply wrong.
Is it? Slavery was the cheap labor source of the time. Are we any different today as we outsource our manufacturing to nations that employ slave labor? We just moved the slaves out of our sight. It is conservatives who look at the profits flowing in from that cheap labor and we tell ourselves that it is good because it is profitable.
We cheer for outsourcing our work, for automating, for downsizing; and then we look at the unemployed people and call them lazy scum. We tell them to get off their lazy butts and get an education. Then, to protect the banks, we pass laws that prevent them from discharging student loan debt through bankruptcy so they can get their education and be in debt for life, even as more jobs are sent to India or Malaysia because the labor costs for skilled workers are less than the cost of minimum wage here.
If he had been a democrat, the media and race hustlers would be all over this story. The fact that he was a republican runs against the their agenda of depicting republicans as racists.
I didn’t know he was still alive, either.
I met Brooke in 1972 when I was a teenage delegate to the Massachusetts Republican state convention. Met all the pubbie bigwigs that year. My mother told me that I met Reagan at the Chateau de Ville, but I don't remember that.
I do recall taking a leak in the mens room next to Senate minority leader Hugh Scott. Don't think that really constitutes "meeting" somebody though.
John Glenn....from Hero to a ZERO!!! What a Pathetic Liberal.
If I remember correctly, he was present at Hillary’s graduation and she attacked him in the speech she gave at the ceremony.
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