- In full:
- Lloyd Millard Bentsen, Jr.
- Born:
- February 11, 1921, Mission, Texas, U.S.
- Died:
- May 23, 2006, Houston, Texas (aged 85)
- Political Affiliation:
- Democratic Party
- Awards And Honors:
- Presidential Medal of Freedom (1993)
Lloyd Bentsen
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Who was Lloyd Bentsen?
Lloyd Bentsen (1921–2006) was a prominent American Democratic politician who served as a U.S. senator for many years (1971–93). He later became secretary of the treasury (1993–94) during Bill Clinton's presidency. In 1988, he was the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, running alongside Michael Dukakis.
Before his time in the Senate, Bentsen was a U.S. Representative and a judge. In a memorable moment during the 1988 vice presidential debate, Bentsen famously said to his opponent Dan Quayle, "Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you are no Jack Kennedy".
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What important government positions did Lloyd Bentsen hold?
Lloyd Bentsen was a prominent American Democratic politician who held several important government positions. He served as a U.S. senator for many years (1971–93). In 1993, Bentsen became secretary of the treasury in Bill Clinton's presidential administration, a position he held until 1994. Before his time in the Senate, Bentsen was a U.S. Representative from 1948 to 1955 and a judge in Hidalgo County from 1946 to 1948. In 1988, he was the Democratic nominee for vice president, running with Michael Dukakis, but they were ultimately unsuccessful.
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For which state did Lloyd Bentsen serve as a U.S. Senator?
Lloyd Bentsen, an American Democratic politician, served as a U.S. Senator for the state of Texas from 1971 to 1993. He was also the Democratic nominee for vice president in 1988, running with Michael Dukakis, and later became the secretary of the treasury in Bill Clinton's administration.
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What role did Lloyd Bentsen play in a United States presidential election?
Lloyd Bentsen was the Democratic nominee for vice president in the 1988 election, running with Michael Dukakis against George Bush and Dan Quayle. Dukakis chose Bentsen as his running mate, hoping Bentsen's reputation as a moderate would broaden the ticket's appeal.
During the vice-presidential debate, Bentsen memorably responded to Quayle's comparison of himself to John F. Kennedy with the line, "Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy". Despite Bentsen's strong performance, the Dukakis-Bentsen ticket lost the election to Bush. An elector from West Virginia cast one electoral vote for Bentsen for president.
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How did Lloyd Bentsen contribute to U.S. financial policies as Secretary of the Treasury?
Lloyd Bentsen served as the Secretary of the Treasury in Bill Clinton's presidential administration from 1993 to 1994. Before this, he was a U.S. Senator for a long time, from 1971 to 1993. Bentsen's career also includes an unsuccessful run as the Democratic nominee for vice president in 1988, alongside Michael Dukakis. He resigned from the Senate to serve as treasury secretary and left that post in 1994.
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What is Lloyd Bentsen remembered for in American political history?
Lloyd Bentsen, a prominent American Democratic politician, served as a U.S. Senator for many years (1971–93) and as Secretary of the Treasury (1993–94) in Bill Clinton's administration. He is also remembered as the Democratic nominee for vice president in 1988, running with Michael Dukakis.
During the vice presidential debate in 1988, Bentsen had a memorable exchange with his Republican opponent, Dan Quayle, who had compared himself to John F. Kennedy. Bentsen retorted, "Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you are no Jack Kennedy".
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Lloyd Bentsen (born February 11, 1921, Mission, Texas, U.S.—died May 23, 2006, Houston, Texas) was an American Democratic politician who was a longtime U.S. senator (1971–93) before serving as secretary of the treasury (1993–94) in the presidential administration of Bill Clinton. Bentsen was also the unsuccessful Democratic nominee for vice president in 1988, running on a ticket with Michael Dukakis.
Bentsen, whose father was a millionaire landowner, was raised in McAllen, Texas. In 1942 he received a law degree from the University of Texas and joined the U.S. Army. He became a commissioned pilot, served in combat in Italy in World War II (earning a Distinguished Flying Cross), and in 1945 was discharged as a colonel and established a law practice in McAllen. He served as a judge in Hidalgo county from 1946 to 1948. In 1948 he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, winning both the general election and a special election to complete the term of Milton West, who had died in office. Bentsen was reelected twice and served until 1955, voting with most other Texas Democrats except for his support of a bill to end poll taxes. In 1955 he left politics, borrowing money from relatives to form the Consolidated American Life Insurance Co.—later called Lincoln Consolidated, Inc.—with himself as president and offices in Houston.
In 1970 Bentsen ran for the U.S. Senate. In the Democratic primary he defeated Ralph Yarborough, considered an antibusiness liberal, and in the general election he defeated the Republican candidate, future president George Bush. Reelected to the Senate in 1976 and 1982, he became chairman of the Finance Committee in 1987. Though many considered him a conservative, Bentsen voted with the majority of Democratic senators as often as not.
In July 1988 Dukakis tapped Bentsen to be his running mate, to face the Republican ticket headed by Pres. George Bush and Vice Pres. Dan Quayle. The choice of Bentsen was a surprise because of his reputation as a conservative, but he emerged from the often nasty campaign as probably the least-disliked national candidate and demonstrated his skills as a public speaker, persuader, and fund-raiser. Debating Quayle in Omaha, Nebraska, on October 5, Bentsen scored no overwhelming victory but offered a response to Quayle’s self-comparison with John F. Kennedy that proved unanswerable and was perhaps the most memorable of the entire campaign: “Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you are no Jack Kennedy.” Allowed by Texas law to run as both a national and a state candidate, Bentsen on November 8 was elected to his fourth term in the U.S. Senate, but he and Dukakis lost the presidential election by a wide margin, including in Bentsen’s home state.
He resigned from the Senate on January 20, 1993, having been selected by Clinton to serve as treasury secretary. Bentsen left that post in 1994. In 1993 he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian honour.