Sunday, March 04, 2007
Sen. Thomas Eagleton 1929-2007
Missouri Senator and former Democratic Vice-Presidential candidate Thomas Eagleton passed away today.
According to the Associate Press:
Former U.S. Sen. Thomas Eagleton, who resigned as a vice presidential nominee in 1972 after it was revealed he had been hospitalized for depression, died Sunday, according to the office of Sen. Claire McCaskill. The cause of death was not disclosed. Eagleton, 77, had suffered from a variety of illnesses and ailments in recent years."
Eagleton was probably best known for his brief stint as Sen. George McGovern's Vice-Presidential candidate in 1972, before having to drop out after it was revealed that Eagleton had received electro-shock treatment for depression. At that point in U.S. history depression was not something you talked about or treated unless it was with booze. Eagleton was strong candidate from a needed state, but McGovern knew the revelation would drag the ticket down thanks to the Nixon "dirty tricks" machine.
McGovern would have lost even if he ran with Moses as his VP but the whole affair ended up tarnishing Eagleton for no real good reason, outside of his admitted error in not disclosing his medical file earlier to McGovern. His major legislative accomplishments included halting Nixon's bombing of Cambodia and the Clean Air and Water Act. One of his last public acts, done long after he left the Senate was to oppose the nomination of John Ashcroft as Attorney-General in 2000. Too bad more Senate Democrats did not listen.
According to the Associate Press:
Former U.S. Sen. Thomas Eagleton, who resigned as a vice presidential nominee in 1972 after it was revealed he had been hospitalized for depression, died Sunday, according to the office of Sen. Claire McCaskill. The cause of death was not disclosed. Eagleton, 77, had suffered from a variety of illnesses and ailments in recent years."
Eagleton was probably best known for his brief stint as Sen. George McGovern's Vice-Presidential candidate in 1972, before having to drop out after it was revealed that Eagleton had received electro-shock treatment for depression. At that point in U.S. history depression was not something you talked about or treated unless it was with booze. Eagleton was strong candidate from a needed state, but McGovern knew the revelation would drag the ticket down thanks to the Nixon "dirty tricks" machine.
McGovern would have lost even if he ran with Moses as his VP but the whole affair ended up tarnishing Eagleton for no real good reason, outside of his admitted error in not disclosing his medical file earlier to McGovern. His major legislative accomplishments included halting Nixon's bombing of Cambodia and the Clean Air and Water Act. One of his last public acts, done long after he left the Senate was to oppose the nomination of John Ashcroft as Attorney-General in 2000. Too bad more Senate Democrats did not listen.
Labels: Thomas Eagleton
# posted by Gang of One @ 1:09 PM 
