Patrick Moynihan: A rare statesman

The Arizona Republic ^ | 28 March 2003 | Robert Robb

[Stultis]

Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who died Wednesday, was one of the most intriguing public figures of his time.

Moynihan was an intellectual; most at home in the realm of ideas. He was an academic by training and published 18 books and numerous influential articles and essays.

[Stultis]

R.I.Ping.

[Stultis]

Also, from the Wheeling (West Virginian) News-Register:

Moynihan Mourned

The Intelligencer

One can only wonder if Daniel Patrick Moynihan would stand a ghost of a chance of getting elected to the Senate today. For Moynihan, who died this week, was a rare character in American politics: A public intellectual who did not shy from speaking blunt truths. In a public career spanning from the Kennedy administration to the turn of the century, Moynihan not only was an influential politician - he also was a highly influential public policy intellectual. It was Moynihan who, decades ago, in a now-famous essay in the Public Interest, detailed the disintegration of the black American family (a pattern now sadly repeating itself among other demographic groups) and laid the intellectual groundwork for welfare reform.

He held an equally clear-eyed view of the Soviet Union and decried its evils long before Ronald Reagan deemed it an "Evil Empire." Such a lack of wooly mindedness in foreign affairs would automatically disqualify him from holding high office in today's Democratic Party.

Many senators fancy themselves great statesmen. Moynihan really was a great statesman, and he is irreplaceable.

[ChadGore]

Continued thoughts and prayers for his family and loved ones.

This greatful nation will rarley see his likes again.

[Stultis]

See Also:

John Marshal, more impact than presidents (Actually George Will tribute to Moynihan)

[Dog Gone]

Moynihan wasn't perfect (no Democrat could ever be), but he did try to improve the country. Tom Daschle has as his main goal obstructing Republicans.

It's quite a contrast.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I have to agree. There are too few statesmen in politics (on either side). Damn few Democrats.

[mikeIII]

Yes, a real gentleman-statesman, and no resemblance whatsover to today's democrats.

The evils of PC will be with us now and in times to come.

[Mini-14]

Senator Moynihan tried to get a $1,000 tax per box of ammunition imposed. Senator Moynihan = gun grabber.

[Stultis]

Moynihan wasn't perfect (no Democrat could ever be)

I think it was Wm Buckley who said of Moynihan, "he always said the right thing, and he always voted the wrong way." He warned that the welfare system was destroying the American family decades ago, but then voted against welfare reform. He coined the phrase "defining deviancy down," but then refused to condemn Clinton, and then endorsed Hillary (who he cannot but have despised) for his Senate seat.

He was often paradoxical, but he was a truth teller, which can hardly be said about any leading Democrat today.

[rellimpank]

--exactly. One of the silliest things I've seen on TV was Moynihan and Al Hunt on "Crossfire" during the so-called "assault weapon" controversy. Hunt was spoutiing nonsense about "cop-killer" bullets, then Moynihan in his semi-falsetto proclaimed that he had experience with "these things" when he was an armorer in WW2. "If you even drop them on the floor, they go BRRRRRRRRRRT!--I'd rather have a rattlesnake in the house than one of these--"

I lost any respect I had for him at that point--

[Stultis]

Senator Moynihan tried to get a $1,000 tax per box of ammunition imposed. Senator Moynihan = gun grabber.

That may be, but he was also supportive of aiming more guns (and missles) at the Soviets when other Democrats were declaring the Cold War over, and patting themselves on the back for having handed South Vietnam over to Uncle Ho.

He was certainly a hardcore liberal, but he was never a leftist America-hater, and in fact he denounced that ilk. And on the great issue of his time, the struggle between (Western) democracy and (Soviet) totalitarianism, he was on the right side long after most Democrats were not. (Admittedly that was in part because so many hawkish Democrats -- Jean Kirkpatrick, Richard Perle, Paul Wolfowitz, Norm Podhoretz, Elliot Abrams, et al -- fled to Reagan's banner.)

[Consort]

The Socialists took control of the Democrat Party on Moynihan's watch, leaving Liberals with no party of their own.

[Stultis]

The Socialists took control of the Democrat Party on Moynihan's watch, leaving Liberals with no party of their own.

And also on (Democrat Senator) Scoop Jackson's watch. Jackson was an implacable Cold-Warrior second (if not equal) only to Reagan himself. Jackson was prodigious mentor and very skillful in the wielding of his considerable power. The fact is that no one could've held back the tide of the "New Left" in the Democratic Party of the 60's and 70's, although Jimmy Carter contributed to the flight of "neo-conservatives" from the party by consistently disrespecting and alienating hard-line Democrats. (Reminds you of what a truly inept leader Carter was that the one token hardliner he included in his administration was that Zbignew freak.)

[SuziQ]

There are probably lots of folks who don't even know that he died. The announcement was lost in the fog of war.

Kind of like C. S. Lewis; he had the misfortune of dying on Nov. 22, 1963, and almost no one noticed.

[StockAyatollah]

Moynihan was just another big government, gun-grabbing socialist out to trash our Constitution. The fact that he was less extreme in pursuit of these causes than today's rats does not mean he was benevolent.

[Sonny M]

He did have one good thing going for him. He wanted to privatize social security. (He was on that committe Bush put together to look at social security and come up with a solution). The funniest thing I remember about it, was Tom Dashle having a fit and calling the entire committee a "Bunch of right wing radicals". But you know, and I know, that if he was a senator, he would have voted against his own proposals.

[Sonny M]

The reason he hated the leftists, even though he was one of them, was just arrogance. He wanted america to be in his image, the leftists just hate america, no matter what. He also preferred to be thought of on his own terms, the leftists were a movement that he couldn't stand, because his ego didn't like being grouped into things. Hell, for a liberal, he hated being termed in with other democrats.

[green team 1999]

Moynihan was ask on this week "if the allegations about clinton is true,etc,then something about impeachment etc."
Moynihan said yes,would vote for impeachment.

three months later Moynihan was defending bill clinton!

i lost all respect for Moynihan.

[mikeIII]

Cover stories:
New Republic, 1981: "Pat Moynihan: Neo Liberal".
Nation, 1971: "Moynihan: The conscience of a Neo-Conservative".