Bob Graham Passes

Graham is definitely getting a lot more love here than Lieberman who also recently passed, but didnt get a thread (or maybe I missed it)

 

Yeah. Perhaps Lieberman's independent streak made him less lauded and less hated on either side, respectfully? Also, Graham was a Florida guy and there are people here who met and interacted with him. I imagine Lieberman's passing was probably a bigger story in Connecticut than Graham's.

 

That's true, and he was a UF grad, so I'd expect more comment for sure. I figured Lieberman might at least get a thread or some mention. One of my memories of my time at UF is Role/Hemp and Sore/Loserman bumper stickers.

 

Lieberman was chosen because he had condemned Clinton on the floor of the Senate for the intern affair (I try not to use ML's name because it seems unfair, and she seems so cool now), and Gore felt he needed to distance

 

Great person and Governor/Senator.
With daughters named Adele, Gwen and Kendall...they carry high expectations.

 

I assumed it was to lock up the crucial electoral votes of Connecticut

 

Thanks for the background. Skink is probably my favorite recurring character in Carl Hiaassen's novels.

 

I think Skink was a combination of Askew, Graham, Chiles, and Carl's imagination.
In the late 80s (87 or 88) I spent a day in the field with Carl - the columnist. Several details of the day showed up in a couple of his books. He was so unobtrusive and quiet he could have been a tree but he saw so much and reported it so well. Later I got to chuckle about some of the antics of Skink - knowing where some of them came from.

 

I will now forgive Bob Graham for pushing Bill Arnsparger on us for AD.

 

At one time Graham was rising star in the D party nationally with potential presidential aspirations. I’m not sure what happened, he kind of plateaued and never really went behind that.

He was unusually outspoken against Saudi Arabia post 9/11, to the point of almost being out on a limb.

 

Keep in mind that it was Bill Arnsparger who hired Steve Spurrier as well as Lon Kruger who coached the Gator basketball team to its first Final Four.

 

Not quite. Technically, you are correct, but Arnsparger wanted Mike Archer (HC at LSU and formerly Arnsparger’s DC). He didn’t want Spurrier. Fortunately the “money” at UF sent Tom Hagen to visit Arnsparger and got him to see the picture more clearly and he inked the deal. Kruger was a good hire.

If you want to look into it, Norm Sloan wrote a book called “Confessions of a Coach”. It’s a very interesting read. It finally told Sloan’s and Galen Hall’s side of the story as to what Arnsparger was and what he did to them before he hung them out to dry.

 

He supposedly had personal quirks that apparently rubbed some people the wrong way. He contemporaneously wrote everything down to the point he has thousands of color coded, spiral bound notebooks. That wouldn't bother me, but enough people found him quirky enough it prevented his presidential campaign from getting any traction.

RIP, Senator/Governor, your service is greatly appreciated.

 

I knew that when he was out and about in public he had an aide write down the names of everyone he met. I found that attractive in a politician. He didn’t fake it. He really did give a damn.

 

He wasn't crooked

 

He had principles in service to the Constitution and our democratic norms. Would that we had a Congress full of such servants!

 

Amen. My buddy ran his district office. Lots of one on one time travelling this half of the state to events. Nothing fake. Every bit as good and honest a man in private.

 

Great people. And a true Gator!