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PatrickHenry · Dec 10, 2005, 05:39 pm

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051210/.../obit_mccarthy

Quote:

Former Minnesota Sen. Eugene J. McCarthy, whose insurgent campaign toppled a sitting president in 1968 and forced the Democratic Party to take seriously his message against the Vietnam War, died Saturday. He was 89.

McCarthy died in his sleep at assisted living home in the Georgetown neighborhood where he had lived for the past few years, said his son, Michael.

Eugene McCarthy challenged President Lyndon B. Johnson for the 1968 Democratic nomination during growing debate over the Vietnam War. The challenge led to Johnson's withdrawal from the race.

The former college professor, who ran for president five times in all, was in some ways an atypical politician, a man with a witty, erudite speaking style who wrote poetry in his spare time and was the author of several books.

"He was thoughtful and he was principled and he was compassionate and he had a good sense of humor," his son said.

His anti-war challenge to LBJ created an earthquake in US politics. Honorable, a patriot, anti-militarist. Too good, really, to be President of this degraded nation.

underbear1 · Dec 10, 2005, 05:50 pm

My sympathies to his family, he changed the course of Viet Nam, even when the majority of party hack Democrats wouldn't listen.

**Jack** · Dec 10, 2005, 10:30 pm

I may need to have a Volconvo feed on my work computer; first I read about Richard Pryor and now McCarthy here and heard nothing about either all day.
My own McCarthy memory: in 1968 I was dating a girl from Minnesota. I wasn't sure who I liked better in the election that year. Gail convinced me that McCarthy hadn't been a very good Senator, and I didn't really care for Humphrey, so I wound up supporting Nixon and actually voting for him in 1972.
I have been living with the shame of that action ever since.
So thanks, Eugene, for indirectly causing me to help put that crook in office.
(Seriously, I'm very saddened to hear of his death. I later learned he was a very kind and intelligent man.)

Nono · Dec 11, 2005, 05:02 am

"With a sardonic sense of humor, McCarthy needled whatever establishment was in power." That's my man.

Jeez, I see in Pat's link that John Edwards praises McCarthy as "a remarkable American, a man who spoke his conscience". Funny that such qualities would impress a guy like Edwards.

Read an interview with George McGovern the other day, Ever the optimist, he said he detected signs that that people were wearying of anti-New-Deal politics (after a mere 40 years, wow).

Dec 10, 2005, 10:30 pm	#3 (permalink) (top)
Jack formerly Isherwood Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 13,779	I may need to have a Volconvo feed on my work computer; first I read about Richard Pryor and now McCarthy here and heard nothing about either all day. My own McCarthy memory: in 1968 I was dating a girl from Minnesota. I wasn't sure who I liked better in the election that year. Gail convinced me that McCarthy hadn't been a very good Senator, and I didn't really care for Humphrey, so I wound up supporting Nixon and actually voting for him in 1972. I have been living with the shame of that action ever since. So thanks, Eugene, for indirectly causing me to help put that crook in office. (Seriously, I'm very saddened to hear of his death. I later learned he was a very kind and intelligent man.) The Forum Rules Radical Atheist Heathen Queer Let's agree to respect each others views, no matter how wrong yours may be. (Ashleigh Brilliant)

Dec 11, 2005, 05:02 am	#4 (permalink) (top)
Nono Throbbing Member Location: Old Europe Posts: 7,161	"With a sardonic sense of humor, McCarthy needled whatever establishment was in power." That's my man. Jeez, I see in Pat's link that John Edwards praises McCarthy as "a remarkable American, a man who spoke his conscience". Funny that such qualities would impress a guy like Edwards. Read an interview with George McGovern the other day, Ever the optimist, he said he detected signs that that people were wearying of anti-New-Deal politics (after a mere 40 years, wow). "I wish I was as cocksure of anything as Tom Macaulay is of everything." -- Viscount Melbourne

Dec 10, 2005, 05:50 pm	#2 (permalink) (top)
underbear1 BANNED Posts: 2,630	My sympathies to his family, he changed the course of Viet Nam, even when the majority of party hack Democrats wouldn't listen.