Why I liked Lloyd Bentsen

Lloyd Bentsen died today. I got to meet him a couple times. I always liked him.

Some random things I found interesteing about him:

• He was the last Democrat Texas sent to the US Senate.


• He was a WWII bomber pilot, flying fifty missions. And was shot down. Twice.


• In 1970 he beat George HW Bush for the Senate seat he would hold until 1988 - when Bush won the Presidency and denied him the Vice-Presidency.


• When, in his VP debate against Dan Quayle, Quayle compared himself to JFK, Bentsen famously retorted, "Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy."


• The "s" and the "t" are backwards in his name. On purpose.


• He signed all our money for two years as Clinton's first Treasury Secretary.


• He was just the kind of smart guy you want in the Senate

Stupid passage of time.