Lloyd Bentsen

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Lloyd Bentsen

Lloyd Millard Bentsen Jr. (born February 11, 1921 in Mission , Texas , † May 23, 2006 in Houston , Texas) was an American politician , treasury secretary and vice-presidential candidate for the Democratic Party .

Training and military service

After studying law at the University of Texas School of Law , he served in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II , where he was promoted to colonel . After the war he was initially a private lawyer in McAllen and from 1946 to 1948 a judge in Hidalgo County .

MP and Senator

From 1948 to 1955, Bentsen represented the Democratic Party as a representative for the 15th constituency of Texas in the United States House of Representatives . He then worked in business for 15 years and was most recently President of the financial holding Lincoln Consolidated .

After this hiatus, he returned to politics in 1970 and ran for senator in his home state of Texas. In his first election he beat the Republican candidate , later President George Bush . Bentsen was confirmed with a large majority in the later elections (1976, 1982, 1988).

1976 defeated Bentsen in the nomination for the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party to the subsequently elected president Jimmy Carter .

1988 vice presidential candidate

1988 nominated him then-Democratic presidential candidate and governor of Massachusetts , Michael Dukakis , as a candidate for the vice presidency.

Unforgettable is a televised duel between him and Republican Vice-Presidential candidate, Senator Dan Quayle from Indiana , who compared his pre-election experience in parliament with that of Jack Kennedy (John F. Kennedy). Bentsen replied:

“Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy.
I knew Jack Kennedy.
Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine.
Senator, you are no Jack Kennedy! "

“Senator, I worked with Jack Kennedy.
I knew Jack Kennedy.
Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine.
Senator, you are not a Jack Kennedy! "

- Lloyd Bentsen

Quayle, who was only able to answer after a long hesitation, “That was really uncalled for, senator.” From then on, he remained stigmatized as a poorly intelligent candidate in the eyes of the public and the media.

Nevertheless, the Democratic candidates Dukakis and Bentsen were defeated by the Republicans George Bush Sr. and Quayle, which won 54 percent of the vote and a majority in 40 states , while Dukakis and Bentsen received 46 percent of the vote and a majority in the remaining ten states and the District of Columbia . In Electoral College , Bentsen received a vote as president from the delegate Margaret Leach from West Virginia , who, as a so-called Faithless elector , deviated from the intended election and reversed the order of the two Democratic candidates.

Secretary of the Treasury under Bill Clinton

In January 1993 he resigned as a Senator and was appointed Secretary of the Treasury in his cabinet by the new President Bill Clinton . During this time, he began laying the foundations for creating a balanced budget and reducing the budget deficit. On December 22, 1994, Lloyd Bentsen finally withdrew from active politics.

honors and awards

In addition, a section of the Texan Highway 59 has been named "Senator Lloyd Bentsen Highway" in his honor.

Web links

Commons : Lloyd Bentsen  - collection of images, videos and audio files