AP: Former VP candidate, Sen. Lloyd Bentsen dies.

[Roon]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/

[KingFlorez]

1. R.I.P.

[Mugsy]

55. His Dad was killed in car accident at 100.

To be honest, I hadn't seen/heard hide-nor-hair of him in so long, I thought he had passed on long ago, so it's a shame to find out only now of his passing.

It is interesting to remember that his father was killed in a car accident shortly after the 1988 election at the age of 100. He was killed when another driver ran a stop-sign and hit the car he was driving.

His father was still active and driving at the age of 100. Who knows how long he might otherwise have lived? With genes like that, I'd of thought Lloyd would have been around forever.

[sabra]

2. peace be upon his family

[brooklynite]

3. "You are no Jack Kennedy..."

[saltpoint]

4. Yes. Absolutely one of the most effective smackdowns in U.S.

political history.

[mike923]

15. I'd agree...

if they would have won that election.

[saltpoint]

17. Welcome to DU, Mike. I liked the line because Quayle was laying

public claim to JFK's model of public service. A LOT of Democrats had had ENOUGH of it and Bentsen capsulized our fury at Quayle with those few sentences.

Win, lose, or draw, Dan Quayle got what he had comin', I felt.

[mike923]

37. No question...

i loved the line as well. Just don't like moral victories, i like real ones.

And thanks for the belated welcome, i've been here for years.

[NWHarkness]

45. It was a real victory

It may not have kept Bush from winning in '88, but it effectively neutered Quayle as a political force. His public standing never recovered.

[saltpoint]

47. For years? Geez, sorry. I didn't know. I saw the 176 posts and

thought you were new.

Sorry 'bout that.

[mike923]

51. Again no problem....

quality, not quantity.

Cheers.

[Luna_Chick]

69. Another longtime lurker like myself, eh?

N/T :hi:

[saigon68]

49. WILLIE HORTON was the BUSH DADDY POSTER CHILD

Don't underestimate the length these fuckers will go to.

And Boo to all the union types and poor people who are racists who voted for the Chimp Daddy,


because they thought black men would walk into their houses and assault them

[Midlodemocrat]

5. Greatest line ever.

RIP, sir.

:patriot:

[catabryna]

21. Right up there with....

"Poor George, he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth." Ann Richardson (1988).

May he rest in peace. My condolences to the family.

[gauguin57]

24. Actually, she said he was born w/a silver FOOT in his mouth.

That line was hilarious ... and Lloyd Bentsen had major stones to smack that arrogant little Quayle down in the debate. That kinda stuff doesn't happen anymore, because everyone's afraid to say boo to a goose during a debate ... gosh, they may make fun of me on SNL if I raise my voice and tell the truth! Or the GeeOhPee will trash me on the Internet.

[catabryna]

44. Don't know what I was thinking when I typed it...

but, yes, it was a foot! LOL! :-)

[The Wizard]

62. So Lewis Black

is giving me an autographed picture when I said "I knew Ted Hitler. Ted Hitler was a friend of mine. You're no Ted Hitler." Lewis appreciated it and burst out laughing.
Lloyd's son served in the same TANG unit as Shrub, but completed his assignment.

[yellowcanine]

9. Yep. Danny boy walked right into that one. I thought he was going to

faint dead away. His Adam's apple kind of bobbed a couple of times and he got that "deer in the headlights" look he was known for.

[Vidar]

10. And shrub can't even match Dan Quayle

[MaineDem]

12. First thing I thought of

Condolences to his family.

[Blue_Roses]

14. Here's his KICKASS comment:

The overprogrammed Quayle was a poor match for Bentsen

By Richard Stengel

(TIME, October 17, 1988) -- Dan Quayle made a promise to the American people before the vice-presidential debate: "You're going to see the real Dan Quayle. " Until Wednesday night, many Americans thought the real Dan Quayle was a sunny, overconfident, high-spirited young man who had spent more time on the golf links than in the library. But the Dan Quayle at the debate was a different person: a grim, wooden, frightened fellow who had stayed up late memorizing answers for the big test. So nervous were Bush's handlers that they denied Quayle any chance to be spontaneous, transforming him instead into an automaton searching for prepackaged answers that he could drone out safely.

The central issue of the Omaha debate was whether the 41-year-old Senator from Indiana had the intellect, temperament and judgment necessary to move into the presidency. Three times Quayle was thrown off balance when asked what he would do if he had to take over from George Bush. Quayle could only sputter bland inanities before falling back on his script about his congressional accomplishments. On his third try, he compared the length of his experience with that of John Kennedy in 1960. It proved a fatal flirtation with one of America's most enduring myths. With precision and rhetorical balance, Bentsen uttered four terse sentences. "Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy."

"That remark was uncalled for, Senator," Quayle interjected. Replied Bentsen: "You're the one that was making the comparison, Senator . . . Frankly, I think you're so far apart in the objectives you choose for your country that I did not think the comparison was well taken." It was as though a respected uncle had reprimanded his young charge for cheekiness.

--snip--

And dusting off a line he had used at the convention, Bentsen articulated the Democratic case against the apparent success of the U.S. economy: "You know, if you let me write $200 billion worth of hot checks every year, I could give you the illusion of prosperity too."

more...




http://cgi.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1996/analysis/back.time/9610/09/


________________

:cry:

RIP Lloyd Bentson. You will always be remembered as one awesome man.

[TriMetFan]

52. The best bitch slap ever.

And it came from a real Texan.

[muchacho]

66. heh!

>>And it came from a real Texan.

Damn straight.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

61. How many debate quotes can you remember?

This one is notable because EVERYONE remembers it.

[VWolf]

67. Well, I'll always remember ...

"Need some wood?"

Probably the most dumb-ass thing said by * in the debates (and by God there's a lot to choose from)

[TygrBright]

6. He served his country.

He did so in accordance with his beliefs and integrity. He did so competently and conscientiously. I did not always agree with him, but I think he would have made a good Veep and possibly Pres, had fate decreed otherwise.

A life well-lived, to the service of his country. Not many can say as much.

vaya con Dios, Lloyd. Thanks from an appreciative citizen.

respectfully,
Bright

[jobycom]

19. Nicely done, TB. nt.

7. I remember his debates when he ran as VP

A good life.

[1gobluedem]

8. He was a great man

I remember the line from the Dukakis/Bentsen, Bush/Quayle campaign in who to elect:

"People are afraid George Bush will die or Mike Dukakis won't."

RIP, Lloyd.

[chelsea0011]

35. Funny line. And Dukakis would always say people will judge us

by our choices. My first choice was Lloyd Bentsen. Bush's was Dan Quayle.

[Blue_Roses]

11. Damn

:cry: I love Lloyd Bentson. R.I.P.

[UpInArms]

13. farewell Mr. Bentsen

:(

[geiger]

16. THIS IS NOT A GOOD DAY!!!!

[jobycom]

18. A contraversial, conservative Texan, but a towering figure.

As a liberal Texan and a former employee of Ralph Yarborough, it's very hard for me to love Lloyd Bentsen, but it would be harder still to not be impressed by him. On his dark side, he ran a nasty campaign against the populist liberal Yarborough, unseating one of the most powerful liberals in the nation in 1970. On his bright side, he held a Senate seat that would have likely gone Republican during the 70s and 80s, and he helped lend credibility to Bill Clinton's foundering campaign in 92. When he backed Clinton, he won won Clinton a lot of respect from moderate to conservative Democrats and independents who were afraid Clinton was too liberal.

And his smackdown of Quayle was the stuff of legends and myths!

RIP, Senator. You've earned the respect of this Texan, despite his disagreements with you. You may have been the last of the true Texas giants, and the state already feels more empty without you.

[booksenkatz]

39. jobycom

This fellow Texan thanks you for putting my feelings into words so eloquently! I agree with every word.

Senator Bentsen, thank you for your service.

[TriMetFan]

53. I also got to say Thank You

for you post. As a Native Texan, I know this is a sad day for real Texans.

[cyclezealot]

60. Texas does not produce many honorable pols.

Might not always have agreed with himm, but he was honorable. Need more of his breed. Aristocrat yes, but compared to today's Texas neocons, a real poplulist.

[jobycom]

70. Ralph Yarborough, Ann Richards, Henry B Gonzales, Barbara Jordan

Sheila Jackson Lee, Mickey Leland... we've had a few.

[cyclezealot]

71. Gonzales, Jordan.

You are right. Texas has brought us some real national treasures. Even Florida has brought us some politicians to be proud of . Remember Claude Pepper. What the country needs is a return to the likes of Pepper/Gonzales..

[RFKHumphreyObama]

20. RIP Lloyd Bentsen

Thank you for your service to the Democratic Party and the nation. The world is a better place for having had you in it.

[The2ndWheel]

22. The same guy that supported NAFTA, GATT, etc

To each their own I guess.

[Charlie Brown]

23. this is not the time to split hairs over stuff like that (RIP, Senator)nt

[jobycom]

32. I support them, too. I hope you aren't invited to speak at my funeral.

I mean that lightheartedly. I had issues with his politics, too, but now isn't the time, IMHO. Of course, YHO may be different! :)

[RFKHumphreyObama]

25. Former Democratic Sen. Lloyd Bentsen Dies

HOUSTON - 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, the Democratic vice presidential nominee 1988, died at his home in Houston, according to the family.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060523/ap_on_go_co/obit_bentsen
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Lloyd Bentsen to Dan Quayle -US presidential debate 1988
:Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy, I knew Jack Kennedy, Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you are no Jack Kennedy."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senator,_you_are_no_Jack_Kennedy

Rest in peace Lloyd Bentsen. A wonderful Senator for the Democratic Party and the one person who can have it on his record that he defeated a Bush. We'll miss you and the contribution you made to your party and the American nation

[CottonBear]

26. R.I.P. Lloyd Bentsen: you were a good man and a great Democrat. n/t

[Rambis]

28. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine Senator you're no jack kennedy

One of my favorite moments of all time-

[wisteria]

27. Sad news. I respected his dedication and honesty. RIP! n/t

[nosferaustin]

29. RIP Senator

I grew up looking at a gavel that the Senator used in the US Senate and later presented to my grandfather, a friend of his from their days back in Mission, TX. He was an admirable man, a good Democrat and a great Texan.

[Pacifist Patriot]

30. I had a soft spot for him. RIP!

[Penndems]

31. The noun "statesman" was coined for people like Lloyd Bentsen

I met then-Treasury Secretary Bentsen in late 1993. A gentleman, a true public servant and a dyed-in-the-wool, true-blue, loyal Texan. They don't make 'em like him anymore.

My deepest condolences to the entire Bentsen family.

[hadrons]

33. when he was in office, most people railed against DINOs like Bentsen ....

dying can bring the best out of a person

[QC]

54. No, it's just that some people have a bit of class. n/t

[redqueen]

34. RIP, Senator Bentsen...

:(

[Kolesar]

36. Star of "The Atomic Cafe"

Dukakis' running mate Lloyd Bentsen, urging voters to petition congress to nuke Northern Korea, is just as bomb-crazy as any Republican.

http://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s442cafe.html

[Nye Bevan]

38. RIP Lloyd. A decent man and a patriot who loved his country

[rppper]

40. Bentsen was a good senator and a good democrat.....

......he was my senator for years...my mother, who worshiped LBJ, loved bentsen with a equal fevor. democrats like he and Ann Richards were the glue that held the party together for years. he will be missed. RIP lloyd, you did us all proud.....

[2bfree]

41. I will never forget meeting him.

He will be missed here in Texas.:cry:

[AJE]

42. Senator Bentsen was a Class Act, and will be greatly missed

Of course, he will always be remembered for his very effective put-down of Danny-Boy(for those of use old enough to have actually witnessed this as it occured, what a RUSH it was!) ; but this man lead a very decent, respectful life and career; he was truly a Class Act!

[PDittie]

43. One of our titans is gone.

http://brainsandeggs.blogspot.com/2006/05/lloyd-m-bentsen-jr-1921-2006.html

[knitter4democracy]

46. I'm so sorry.

Wow. He was so young. At least, he always looked young to me. :( How hard and awful for everyone.

[Rainscents]

48. RIP... God Bless and may he rest in peace.

[UTUSN]

50. A Dem veep candidate who actually FOUGHT n/t

[merci_me]

56. To express condolenses to the family, LINK to Guest Book

You may add your thoughts to the family's guestbook at:

http://www.legacy.com/Guestbook.asp?Page=GuestBook&PersonId=17872187&GuestPage=4

[Raine]

57. R-I-P Senator Bentson

I always liked him. :-(

[hfojvt]

58. I did vote for him

but I would not make him a saint now. I cannot remember specifics, but Robert Reich made it sound like Bentsen was no friend of the working class. He said something to the effect that although Bentsen was remembered for his famous line saying that Quayle was "no Jack Kennedy", unfortunately, neither was Bentsen.

[WatchWhatISay]

59. Like many of our Democratic friends

If we had to justiy everything he did, their would be few eulogies.

As a Texan, I am proud of Bentsen in some ways, not so much in other ways. Kind of like Clinton.

But on the whole, I think he deserves our respect.

[onehandle]

63. A Damn Good Man! nt

[Lithos]

64. A real gentleman

Met him once, thought very highly of the man afterwards.

L-

[Gman]

65. I remember being involved in his reelection campaign in 1976

we were just kids but he was always very cordial and gracious.

More recently, I have a cousin that is a county commissioner in South Texas. Early last year, my cousin had dinner with the Senator. Bentson was approaching him to run for Texas Agriculture Commissioner. My cousin is a good 'ol boy looking cowboy type that's a good liberal Democrat. He raises cattle and farms. He would make the perfect Democratic candidate for Ag Commish. Ultimately, my cousin chose not to run. So yes, the Senator has been very active and still the mover and shaker, albeit behind the scenes.

[shadowknows69]

68. Good Journey

n/t