General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsFavorite US Senator of all-time?
I'd avoid current Senators because their work isn't finished, and not enough time has been evaluated for those who've retired recentl.
For me, it's easily, Senator Eugene McCarthy, who dumped LBJ, and ran as an anti-war candidate during Vietnam, but was derailed when RFK got into the race, and when he was murdered, many dispersed all over (Humphrey, even Wallace).. That takes guts. Doing the right thing and not just to feel good for 10 minutes.
Probably the wittiest politician I've ever heard. Adlai Stevenson, too.
mindem
(1,580 posts)He was gone too soon.
MortSahlFan
(55 posts)so of course he's taken away too soon.
WhiskeyGrinder
(26,703 posts)doc03
(38,943 posts)milestogo
(22,816 posts)El Supremo
(20,429 posts)WeekiWater
(3,259 posts)lapfog_1
(31,784 posts)shenmue
(38,584 posts)NickB79
(20,281 posts)TeamPooka
(25,577 posts)Crutchez_CuiBono
(7,725 posts)Judi Lynn
(164,067 posts)His Wikipedia:
Church Committee
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Church Committee report (Book I, Foreign and Military Intelligence)
The Church Committee was the United States Senate Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations with Respect to Intelligence Activities, a U.S. Senate committee chaired by Idaho Senator Frank Church (D-ID) in 1975. The committee investigated abuses by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), National Security Agency (NSA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The committee was part of a series of investigations into intelligence abuses in 1975, dubbed the "Year of Intelligence", including its House counterpart, the Pike Committee, and the presidential Rockefeller Commission. The committee's efforts led to the establishment of the permanent U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
Background
By the early years of the 1970s, a series of troubling revelations had appeared in the press concerning intelligence activities. First came the revelations by Army intelligence officer Christopher Pyle in January 1970 of the U.S. Army's spying on the civilian population[1][2] and Senator Sam Ervin's Senate investigations produced more revelations.[3] Then on December 22, 1974, The New York Times published a lengthy article by Seymour Hersh detailing operations engaged in by the CIA over the years that had been dubbed the "family jewels". Covert action programs involving assassination attempts on foreign leaders and covert attempts to subvert foreign governments were reported for the first time. In addition, the article discussed efforts by intelligence agencies to collect information on the political activities of US citizens.[4]
. . .
According to recently declassified documents by the National Security Archive, the Church Committee also helped to uncover the NSA's Watch List. The information for the list was compiled into the so-called "Rhyming Dictionary" of biographical information, which at its peak held millions of names - thousands of which were US citizens. Some prominent members of this list were Joanne Woodward, Thomas Watson, Walter Mondale, Art Buchwald, Arthur F. Burns, Gregory Peck, Otis G. Pike, Tom Wicker, Whitney Young, Howard Baker, Frank Church, David Dellinger, Ralph Abernathy, and others.[11]
But among the most shocking revelations of the committee was the discovery of Operation SHAMROCK, in which the major telecommunications companies shared their traffic with the NSA from 1945 to the early 1970s. The information gathered in this operation fed directly into the Watch List. In 1975, the committee decided to unilaterally declassify the particulars of this operation, against the objections of President Ford's administration.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_Committee

Senator Frank Church
yonder
(10,266 posts)ditto for the above reasons and those in the posts below.
MaryMagdaline
(7,952 posts)DFW
(59,884 posts)He used to come out to our house all the time. I was too little to get much of what they were discussing, but they used to talk for hours and hours. Sometimes Forrest would come along, but the age difference was too great for us to have much in common.
lastlib
(27,820 posts)EMK, Paul Wellstone, Al Franken, G. McGovern,...I could think of so many good D senators--my own state's Tom Eagleton.
Most Despised: Jesse Helms (naturally) and Strom Thurmond. Both of whose graves I want to contribute a few urine samples to, before I shuffle off this mortal coil.
EffieBlack
(14,249 posts)grantcart
(53,061 posts)He became increasingly erratic. Supported Libertarian candidates and endorsed Ronald Reagan for President.
MortSahlFan
(55 posts)I prefer someone who believes in something, rather than going along where the wind blows.
DFW
(59,884 posts)Because of my dad's job, I've known a LOT of them over the past 50 years. Two of the ones I liked personally were Republicans from NY (Jacob Javits and Charlie Goodell). Others I liked (on a personal basis): Everett Dirksen, Bobby Kennedy, Pat Moynihan, Hubert Humphrey, Frank Church, Fritz Mondale, Al Gore, Al Franken, Hillary Clinton, even Claire McCaskill. I met Mazie Hirono, but never really got to know her much. Though I never met him while he was in the Senate, I did meet LBJ, and thought he was kind of nasty, but I was just a 13 year old kid then. His wife was a delight, totally un-stuck-up, a really pleasant surprise.
Beto DOES remind me of Bobby Kennedy somewhat, but Bobby had a LOT more gravitas. I guess getting your brother assassinated and being AG going up against Jimmy Hoffa will do that to you.
I guess my favorite Senator, putting the personal stuff aside, would have to be either Bobby Kennedy, Hillary Clinton or Al Franken. Bobby and Al for their fearless outspokenness and Hillary for being such a consummate study of how to work in such a divided body, sort of what I imagine LBJ would have been like if he had been faced with as much adversity.
The trouble is that the many accomplishments of ones I never knew are no doubt buried by those of the ones I did. Ergo, I can't give an objective answer to this one. I was in the middle of too many trees to give a fair assessment of the forest.
StevieM
(10,578 posts)I would add Paul Simon.
DFW
(59,884 posts)ProfessorGAC
(76,173 posts)He loved those classes. Says Simon was great in the classroom.
Hamlette
(15,556 posts)what are you smoking?
Judi Lynn
(164,067 posts)MortSahlFan
(55 posts)elleng
(141,926 posts)Can't answer (yet,) as can't think of everyone, but am enjoying the discussion.
MortSahlFan
(55 posts)wasupaloopa
(4,516 posts)from Vietnam in 1968.
MortSahlFan
(55 posts)That's courage -- going against the party when they start engaging in right-wing politics.
wasupaloopa
(4,516 posts)what I wanted to here so I volunteered
Raine
(31,122 posts)was everything that a Democrat should be, he was the best!
mahina
(20,529 posts)Gollowed d by Mazie Hirono, Paul Wellstone, Al Franken.
I like Brian Schatz too.
StevieM
(10,578 posts)He has been the most prominent voice on climate change. And that is the most important issue of our time. Actually, it is the most important issue of all time.
jmowreader
(53,006 posts)Arguably the best politician Idaho has ever produced, Democrat Frank Church was an Army intelligence officer during World War II, which gave him the experience to lead the Church Committee's investigation into abuses in the US Intelligence Community. He also sponsored the Wilderness Act and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. He was one of the first senators to oppose the Vietnam War, and he was seen as a leader of the Democratic Party's "liberal wing."
CabalPowered
(12,692 posts)mainer
(12,518 posts)Va Lefty
(6,252 posts)A flawed person, but he accomplished so much
Laura PourMeADrink
(42,770 posts)Last edited Tue Dec 25, 2018, 10:40 PM - Edit history (1)
and two brothers slain, and he could have just sailed away on a yacht ..Yet he came to the Senate every day to stand up for the little guy.
Raine
(31,122 posts)he was one of the best!
Lifelong Protester
(8,421 posts)Bobby Kennedy ,Hubert Humphrey,Paul Wellstone, to name a few.
CatMor
(6,212 posts)she did a great job for NY State
StevieM
(10,578 posts)brooklynite
(96,882 posts)muntrv
(14,505 posts)Response to muntrv (Reply #31)
geralmar This message was self-deleted by its author.
Demsrule86
(71,523 posts)raging moderate
(4,608 posts)I have read somewhere that his tombstone still testifies to his integrity.
Hamlette
(15,556 posts)ooky
(10,814 posts)dae
(3,396 posts)Stinky The Clown
(68,941 posts)She's still around, having made a public appearance just last night.
Poiuyt
(18,272 posts)He never took any campaign donations (he was popular enough that he didn't need the money). Since he never took any money, he wasn't beholden to any special interests.
He was famous for his Golden Fleece award that he gave out to the most wasteful government programs.
Very anti-Vietnam war.
FSogol
(47,543 posts)He rented a billboard.
lordsummerisle
(4,653 posts)runners up Daniel Webster and Ted Kennedy
jalan48
(14,914 posts)WheelWalker
(9,386 posts)blitzen
(4,572 posts)MortSahlFan
(55 posts)only 3 out of 435 who voted against Vietnam... The majority is wrong a majority of the time it seems.
jalan48
(14,914 posts)Polybius
(21,639 posts)And worst (in my lifetime) was easily Jesse Helms. Currently, it's probably Cruz or Hyde-Smith, but Helms is 10 times worse than both combined. Perhaps Roy Moore would have eclipsed him.
PoindexterOglethorpe
(28,485 posts)I used to work as a ticket agent at National Airport in Washington, DC, and one day a very tall man came up to the counter, leaned down (I'm short) and explained he needed to have his and his wife's tickets rewritten because of a change in their travel plans.
He was polite and nice and it was a tricky rewrite, but he didn't send some flunky to do it, he was there himself. It was a joy to do it for him because he was so unassuming. I was always sorry he never made it to the top job.
bluedigger
(17,417 posts)LeftishBrit
(41,450 posts)(Now in danger from the Brexit mess)
I heard George Mitchell speak in Oxford a few months ago; very inspiring!
akraven
(1,975 posts)OregonBlue
(8,180 posts)One of the true greats.
Brother Buzz
(39,717 posts)"I offer my opponents a bargain: if they will stop telling lies about us, I will stop telling the truth about them - Adlai Stevenson
My favorite senator was Barbara Boxer mostly because I followed her entire career, from her writing and reporting days at the Pacific Sun and County Board of Supervisors from the land of peacock feathers and hot tubs (Ed stiles and another Pacific Sun writer, Cyra McFadden were my friends), then on to the US house of Representative, and finally US Senate.
She may have been incredibly short, but she had spunk.
MortSahlFan
(55 posts)He had so many, but during the '56 election, he walks into a church, and there's silence. Adlai asks the man in charge what's up. "We've been instructed by Normal Vincent Peale to support Eisenhower" and Adlai quipped (so fast, amazing wit)
"I find the Apostle Paul appealing, and the Apostle Peale appaling" -- got shivers just typing it!
Brother Buzz
(39,717 posts)I get shivers just thinking about the connection between the orange anus and Normal Vincent Peale.

Thunderbeast
(3,801 posts)He and Earnest Greuning only two Senators to vote against Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.
WheelWalker
(9,386 posts)apcalc
(4,526 posts)Kablooie
(19,076 posts)Response to MortSahlFan (Original post)
geralmar This message was self-deleted by its author.
Tikki
(15,070 posts)Favorites for different reasons over my life time.
Tikki
stonecutter357
(13,008 posts)AwakeAtLast
(14,315 posts)So much intelligence and class!
rampartc
(5,835 posts)i'd take any one of 'em.
paul wellstone
robert kennedy
huey long
Mike Nelson
(10,943 posts)
better than the ones mentioned! I enjoyed reading the responses.
MrScorpio
(73,765 posts)MortSahlFan
(55 posts)JNelson6563
(28,151 posts)KBlagburn
(571 posts)2nd Choice Hillary Clinton for simply making history as the only sitting first lady to simultaneously be a sitting U.S. Senator
dubyadiprecession
(7,345 posts)kentuck
(115,283 posts)Because he was able to overcome the influence of the KKK in his early life and became one of the great leaders ever in the US Senate, unlike some that clung to their racism and old traditions. Also, he was one of the greatest orators ever. He reminded me of the Senators from Roman times, like Cicero.
catbyte
(38,855 posts)I'm showing my age.
dem4decades
(13,875 posts)Hence the Special Counsel. And I'll never forget who led the charge for him to leave the Senate without due process.
TexasTowelie
(126,314 posts)He was the last Democrat elected to the Senate from Texas (Bob Krueger was appointed to replace him, but was defeated in a special election after Bentsen was appointed as Secretary of the Treasury by Clinton).
And who could forget:
