Lloyd Bentsen, senator, celebrated policymaker

HOUSTON – Former US Senator and Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen (85), the courtly Texan who famously put down vice presidential rival Dan Quayle in a 1988 debate by telling him “you’re no Jack Kennedy”, died last week.

Bentsen represented the state in Congress for 28 years. Bentsen’s political career took him from a county judgeship in the Rio Grande Valley in the 1940s to six years in the US House, 22 years in the Senate and two years as President Bill Clinton’s first treasury secretary.A shrewd legislative operator, he manoeuvred with ease in Democratic and Republican circles alike on Capitol Hill, displaying expertise on tax, trade and economic issues as well as foreign affairs.In 1988, Democratic presidential nominee Michael Dukakis tapped Bentsen as his running mate while the Republican nominee, then-Vice President George Bush, chose Senator Dan Quayle of Indiana.In their October 5 1988, vice presidential debate, Quayle said: “I have as much experience in the Congress as Jack Kennedy did when he sought the presidency.”Quayle had made similar comments before and Bentsen was prepared.”Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy,” Bentsen said.”I knew Jack Kennedy.Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine.Senator, you’re no Jack Kennedy.”The Dukakis-Bentsen ticket lost 40 states – including Texas – to the Bush-Quayle team.Despite his stately reserve, Bentsen liked to recall a youth of derring-do.He recalled that when he was in Army flight training during World War II, he took a plane too far into a dive and barely avoided a crash.He thought he had gotten away with it until the trainer found corn cobs stuck to the plane.He later flew 50 bomber missions over Europe.After the war, the 25-year-old scion of a wealthy Rio Grande Valley family was elected Hidalgo County judge in 1946.Two years later, he moved to the House.In his first term, Bentsen was one of a handful of Southern congressmen who opposed the poll tax that was used to keep blacks from voting.After the House, he returned to private life in Houston, where he founded and operated a financial holding company with the help of several million dollars in seed money from his family.In 1970, he successfully challenged liberal Democratic Senator Ralph Yarborough, then went on to defeat the elder Bush for the first of four Senate terms.He had few missteps in his career.But less than a month into his two-year tenure as treasury secretary, Bentsen had to deal with the botched raid on the Branch Davidian complex outside Waco by his department’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.He also faced questions about the Treasury’s role in handling a failed Arkansas savings and loan involved in the Whitewater investigation.The setbacks were offset by the high marks Bentsen won for his smooth dealings with Congress.Clinton gave him a higher profile than other treasury secretaries had enjoyed, taking Bentsen with him for his first summit with Russian President Boris Yeltsin and deferring to his judgement on budget deliberations.When Bentsen announced his retirement, Clinton said: “By any stead, he ranks as one of the outstanding economic policymakers in this country since World War II.”Clinton gave Bentsen the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honour, in 1999.Bentsen “excelled as a husband, father and citizen, with his unique combination of intelligence, judgement, strength and dignity”, Clinton and his wife, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, said in a statement.- Nampa-APBentsen’s political career took him from a county judgeship in the Rio Grande Valley in the 1940s to six years in the US House, 22 years in the Senate and two years as President Bill Clinton’s first treasury secretary.A shrewd legislative operator, he manoeuvred with ease in Democratic and Republican circles alike on Capitol Hill, displaying expertise on tax, trade and economic issues as well as foreign affairs.In 1988, Democratic presidential nominee Michael Dukakis tapped Bentsen as his running mate while the Republican nominee, then-Vice President George Bush, chose Senator Dan Quayle of Indiana.In their October 5 1988, vice presidential debate, Quayle said: “I have as much experience in the Congress as Jack Kennedy did when he sought the presidency.”Quayle had made similar comments before and Bentsen was prepared.”Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy,” Bentsen said.”I knew Jack Kennedy.Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine.Senator, you’re no Jack Kennedy.”The Dukakis-Bentsen ticket lost 40 states – including Texas – to the Bush-Quayle team.Despite his stately reserve, Bentsen liked to recall a youth of derring-do.He recalled that when he was in Army flight training during World War II, he took a plane too far into a dive and barely avoided a crash.He thought he had gotten away with it until the trainer found corn cobs stuck to the plane.He later flew 50 bomber missions over Europe.After the war, the 25-year-old scion of a wealthy Rio Grande Valley family was elected Hidalgo County judge in 1946.Two years later, he moved to the House.In his first term, Bentsen was one of a handful of Southern congressmen who opposed the poll tax that was used to keep blacks from voting.After the House, he returned to private life in Houston, where he founded and operated a financial holding company with the help of several million dollars in seed money from his family.In 1970, he successfully challenged liberal Democratic Senator Ralph Yarborough, then went on to defeat the elder Bush for the first of four Senate terms.He had few missteps in his career.But less than a month into his two-year tenure as treasury secretary, Bentsen had to deal with the botched raid on the Branch Davidian complex outside Waco by his department’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.He also faced questions about the Treasury’s role in handling a failed Arkansas savings and loan involved in the Whitewater investigation.The setbacks were offset by the high marks Bentsen won for his smooth dealings with Congress.Clinton gave him a higher profile than other treasury secretaries had enjoyed, taking Bentsen with him for his first summit with Russian President Boris Yeltsin and deferring to his judgement on budget deliberations.When Bentsen announced his retirement, Clinton said: “By any stead, he ranks as one of the outstanding economic policymakers in this country since World War II.”Clinton gave Bentsen the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honour, in 1999.Bentsen “excelled as a husband, father and citizen, with his unique combination of intelligence, judgement, strength and dignity”, Clinton and his wife, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, said in a statement.- Nampa-AP