Feb 25th Famous Political Birthday: Millicent Fenwick

[WI_DEM]

Millicent Hammond Fenwick (February 25, 1910 – September 16, 1992) was an American fashion editor, politician and diplomat. A four-term Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from New Jersey, she entered politics late in life and was renowned for her energy and colorful enthusiasm. She was regarded as a moderate and progressive within her party and was outspoken in favor of civil rights and the women's movement.

Elected to Congress from New Jersey in 1974 at age sixty-four, Fenwick became a media darling during her four terms in the House of Representatives. Television commentator Walter Cronkite called her "the conscience of Congress." She was known for her opposition to corruption by both parties and special interest groups. She was one of the most liberal Republicans in the House. Fenwick was also instrumental in establishing the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), which oversaw the implementation of the Helsinki Accords, which covered relations between states and human rights across Europe.

Once, when a conservative male congressman attacked a piece of equal rights legislation by saying, "I’ve always thought of women as kissable, cuddly, and smelling good," Fenwick responded, "That’s what I’ve always thought about men, and I hope for your sake that you haven’t been disappointed as many times as I’ve been."

Fenwick is considered by some to be the model for the character of Lacey Davenport in Garry Trudeau's comic strip Doonesbury.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millicent_Fenwick

[LiberalEsto]

1. I knew Fenwick; she was a TOTAL phony

As a reporter for a newspaper in her congressional district, I had the dubious privilege of being a member of the paper's editorial board for the purpose of interviewing the candidates in 1976.

Fenwick came in, sat down and proceeded to duck our serious questions, change the subject and sling bullshit for the entire interview. She treated it as if it were a joke and we were peasants groveling before Her Highness the Queen. Our paper was owned by a prominent county Republican, and she thought her endorsement by the paper was in the bag.

The Democrat, Fred Bohen, came in for his interview and talked to us seriously and sincerely. He had good sensible ideas about things like local environmental and traffic issues.

I argued and fought with some of the others on the editorial board for hours, and finally got them to endorse Bohen for Congress in our pre-election editorial, based entirely on his sensible responses to our questions, and his stance on issues that concerned our district.

Fenwick won anyway because this was a gerrymandered Republican district and she had built up name recognition as The Pipe-Puffing Lady, for whatever good that might have done her constituents. Our publisher was Seriously Displeased with us, and our editor took a lot of heat from him. Fenwick, as far as I know, never set foot in our offices again and I'm not sure she ever spoke to our reporters again.

Fenwick was all image and no substance. She did what the Republican kingpins in Somerset County, NJ, wanted her to do, but had no real ideas of her own. As far as I'm concerned, she was full of shit.