Past lawmakers expected to attend Bentsen funeral

HOUSTON — Dozens of dignitaries were expected to join hundreds of mourners in remembering former Treasury Secretary and Sen. Lloyd Bentsen at a memorial service.

Former President Clinton was to deliver the eulogy at the Tuesday service at First Presbyterian Church, to be held after a private graveside service for Bentsen's family.

Bentsen, who represented Texas in Congress for 28 years, died at his Houston home May 23 at age 85. He had been under a doctor's care and in a wheelchair since suffering two strokes in 1998.

Among the current and former lawmakers expected to attend the service were former Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis, who chose Bentsen as his running mate when he was the 1988 Democratic presidential candidate.

Among the more than 60 honorary pallbearers are Clinton; Dukakis; former President Bush; former secretaries of state Madeleine Albright, James Baker and Henry Kissinger; former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan; Lady Bird Johnson; former Texas Govs. Bill Hobby and Ann Richards; and Southwest Airlines Chairman Herb Kelleher.

As Clinton's first treasury secretary, serving from 1993-94, Bentsen enjoyed a higher profile than others in that job. Clinton took Bentsen with him for his first summit with Russian President Boris Yeltsin and deferred to the former Senate Finance Committee chairman's judgment on budget deliberations.

When Bentsen announced his retirement, Clinton said: "By any stead, he ranks as one of the outstanding economic policymakers in this country since World War II."

In 1999 Clinton gave Bentsen the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.

Bentsen, who flew 50 bomber missions over Europe during World War II, began his political career in 1946 when he was elected Hidalgo County judge. He served in the U.S. House from 1948-55 and in the Senate from 1971-93. He made an unsuccessful bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1976.

Boy, I wish I had had a remote-controlled webcam for this. Instead, I "got to see" what the TV news camera wanted me to see and nothing else, for the memorial service at the church.

The music was wonderful--two excellent soloists. The first did the "Our Father" and then both joined on "Requiem." Sen Bentsen's widow's name is B.A. (Beryl Ann - I think is how she spells it - but goes by B.A.) and the Latin in "Requiem" starts out "Dies ...," pronounced "dee-ayz," and it sounded like they were singing "B.A.'s" over and over, at first.

The older associate pastor (First Presbyterian) spoke first and told everyone to sing boldly and not to pay attention to the alternate languages printed in the hymnals, such as Korean, lol.

Someplace in there, the attendees sang "Great is Thy Faithfulness." That's when I wanted the camera to pan to "certain others" in the audience, but it was the one time it didn't.

Mostly, all I saw were Mrs. Bentsen, BillyJeff Clinton, his wife, John Kerry, and our former Mayor Lee Brown and then rinse, lather and repeat. Also, nephew Ken Bentsen was in one shot. I didn't see *any* of the numerous other luminaries who were there (had been looking for Poppy & Bar, plus Lady Bird Johnson, but never saw them or her).

BJ gave his eulogy, which I don't recall much of. Let's see ... it *was* long, but not very personal. Thank goodness, he did *not* include the "You're no JFK" remark. Hmmm....what did he say? Something about being a young politico when he was starting out to campaign and meeting Bentsen, but now I don't remember what that one anecdote was.

The other one was about the fine 71-yo who could've stayed home in retirement and enjoyed his grandkids, but responded to BJ's invitation to be Treasury Sec and came to Washington. Then some long rambling stories about the economy and their accomplishments and something about Yeltsin and how he, BJ, defeated communism.

Then he told about a retreat at Camp David where the Cabinet members were supposed to "bond" and he kept making fun of the word "bond" each time he said it. He said they had a facilitator who was urging them to "bond" and the 2nd night they were there, the "bonding" person told them all to tell a story on themselves, from their childhoods, that no one else in the whole world knew about them.

BJ decided that since he was the POTUS, he should go first and tell something embarrassing, so he said he was a fat kid, quite overweight, and kids poked fun at him.

Next in turn was Bentsen, who just got up and said he was going to bed - and he did. BJ remarked something about if no one knows anything about Bentsen as a child, it's because he doesn't want them to.

After BJ was the cutie pie senior pastor of 1st Presby, Rev. Vanderbloemen, whom I adore. He was animated and respectful - told a cute story about Bentsen when he was a judge in Hidalgo County. He said, some people may not know that Sen Bentsen had wanted to be something else before a judge ... the camera cut to Hillary again, as it did continually, and she was nodding like she already knew what the good Rev. was going to say. Sheesh.

Vanderbloemen said Bentsen had wanted to be a preacher. Anyway, he and B.A. had not yet unpacked all their moving boxes in Hidalgo Co. when a young couple came to their house wanting the judge to marry them, right away. Bentsen then proceeded to *make up* a ceremony and vows -- Vanderbloemen said Bentsen quoted some New Testament and some old Testament verse (they didn't even have the Bible unpacked yet - he did this from memory) and then whatever he thought were appropriate words for vows and then some military oaths ... and the pastor then said, he thought it was probably the only couple ever married who also repeated the Pledge of Allegiance in their ceremony, lol! He said, they were just as married as anyone who went to church for it.

Vanderbloemen said he didn't know Bentsen all those years, through all the accomplishments BJ listed, that in fact, Lloyd was aleady in a wheelchair when he met him. But, it didn't keep him from coming to church - so he parked his wheelchair at the end of the front row every Sunday, right where Vanderbloemen always passed on his way to the pulpit - and every Sunday, he shook Sen Bentsen's hand before he started preaching.

He said he sorely missed him, now that it had been two Sundays without Lloyd there.

At the end of the service, the crowd sang all verses, except Korean, of "How Great Thou Art." It was very nice.

On the way out, I heard some band instruments starting in on the opening horn strains before the "Battle Hymn of the Republic," but thankfully, they cut off coverage before it started. (When they play it in church, they never do the medley with Dixie that I like.)

OK - about her Highness. Has she had plastic surgery? She looked younger and spiffier than I've probably *ever* seen her. BJ was solemn and frowning most of the time, but she was all smiley-faced and toothsome, plus had some strange schoolgirl "dreamy-eyed" look when "her man" was speaking. It was bizarre. She might have just been squinting to see or something, I don't know.

I never got to see if she could sing any of the hymns (especially "Great is Thy Faithfulness") or even try to fake it, which is what I wanted to note. Camera went there ALL the time, *except* during the singing.

I never saw if Stronach was in the crowd or if there was perhaps someone with the entourage who had given her Shrillness that "got some" look.

That's my report.

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