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Tom Harkin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Tom Harkin | |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 3, 1985– Serving with Chuck Grassley |
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| Preceded by | Roger William Jepsen(R) |
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| Succeeded by | Incumbent (2009) |
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| Born | November 19, 1939 Cumming, Iowa |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Ruth Harkin |
| Alma mater | Iowa State University |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Thomas Richard "Tom" Harkin (born November 19, 1939) is a Democratic Senator from Iowa, serving in his fourth senate term. A Democrat, he is currently Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
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Harkin was born in Cumming, Iowa. His father, Patrick Harkin, was a coal miner and his mother, Frances, was a Slovenian immigrant who died when he was ten. He attended Dowling Catholic High School in West Des Moines, Iowa.[1] Harkin attended Iowa State University and was a member of Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity. He graduated from there in 1962 and served in the United States Navy from 1962–1967. Harkin was stationed at Naval Air Facility Atsugi in Japan, where he ferried damaged aircraft to and from the airbase. He was also stationed for a time at Guantanamo Bay, where he flew missions in support of U-2 planes reconnoitering Cuba. He received his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from The Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law in 1972.
Harkin was an aide to Democratic Congressman Neal Smith, when he accompanied a congressional delegation that went to South Vietnam in 1970. Harkin published photographs he took during the trip and a detailed account of the "tiger cages" at Con Son Island prison in Life Magazine on July 17, 1970. The account exposed shocking, inhumane conditions and treatment to which prisoners were subjected.
Harkin was an attorney before being elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1974, and was reelected in 1976, 1978, 1980, and 1982. In 1984, Harkin was elected to the United States Senate from Iowa and was reelected in 1990, 1996 and 2002.
During the 2004 Presidential Elections Harkin was mentioned in Howard Dean's famous Iowa concession speech.
Harkin ran for President in 1992 as a populist with labor union support who criticized George H.W. Bush for being out of touch with working class Americans. Harkin was an early favorite in a small field of five candidates, but many felt that Harkin's style was too shrill and old fashioned and that he would not translate well to a national campaign. Harkin won the Iowa caucus and those in Idaho and Minnesota (with help from Senator Paul Wellstone), but he ran poorly in New Hampshire and other primaries and ultimately lost the Democratic Party nomination to Governor Bill Clinton of Arkansas. Harkin was the first Democratic primary contender to drop-out and throw his support behind Clinton—a favor that led to a close relationship throughout the Clinton presidency.
In 2000 he was frequently mentioned as a candidate Al Gore was considering for his running-mate, alongside House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, Senators Bob Graham, Evan Bayh, John Kerry, and John Edwards. Gore ultimately selected Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut.
In 2004 election Harkin was not on Kerry's vice presidential consideration list, while Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack was.
Harkin is perhaps best known as an advocate for people with disabilities. In 1990, he wrote and was the chief sponsor of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the nation's first comprehensive civil rights law for people with disabilities. Signed into law by President George H. W. Bush, the sweeping legislation prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in employment, in public services, and in public accommodations.
During his political career, Harkin has generally supported legalized abortion. He has opposed most efforts to place legal restrictions on abortion, including voting against a ban on late term abortion, while supporting contraception and education to reduce teen pregnancy. As of 2003, Harkin received a 100% rating from NARAL, the pro-choice advocacy organization. [1]
Senator Harkin is also a staunch supporter of Israel. He is a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, which appropriates about $2 billion annually for military financing for Israel. In the Senate, he is the third-largest career recipient of pro-Israel Political Action Committee (PAC) contributions.[2]
Along with California Senator Barbara Boxer, Harkin is one of only two Senate Democrats to come out in favor of Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold's resolution to censure President George W. Bush even though he voted in favor of the Iraq War Resolution.
Harkin has been rated F by Gun Owners of America and the National Rifle Association. He was one of 16 senators who voted against the Vitter Amendment.
In May 2006 Harkin voted in favor of Senate Bill 2611, also known as the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act. Among the bill's many provisions, it would increase the number of H1B visas, increase security along the southern United States border with Mexico, allow long-time illegal immigrants to gain citizenship with some restrictions, and increase the number of guest workers over and above those already present in the U.S. through a new "blue card" visa program. [3]
Harkin has come out in favor of embryonic stem cell research. In July of 2006, Harkin made a speech from the Senate floor in response to George W. Bush's veto of the embryonic stem cell research federal funding bill. His remarks were later criticized as "Catholic baiting" by the Catholic League. [4]
Harkin's current term ends in January, 2009. He has yet to announce if he will run for re-election or not. An August 2007 poll shows that 57% of Iowans approve of Harkin's job in Washington, while 35% disapprove, but he is expected to run for re-election because of his statements at a "event" in Iowa.[5]
Senator Harkin married Minnesota native Ruth Raduenz in 1968 and has two daughters: Amy, born in 1976, and Jenny, born in 1981.
Ruth Harkin is an attorney and was one of the first women in the United States to be elected as a prosecutor when, in 1972, she was elected to the office of county attorney of Story County, Iowa. She served as a deputy counsel for the US Department of Agriculture before joining the Washington lobbying firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP, in 1983. In 1993, President Bill Clinton named her chairman and chief executive officer of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). Ruth Harkin left the government and became United Technologies' senior vice president for international affairs and government relations in April 1997, leading their Washington DC office. In 2002, Mrs. Harkin became a director of ConocoPhillips. Mrs. Harkin currently sits on the Iowa Board of Regents, the body responsible for overseeing the state's public universities.
Their daughter Amy appeared on the NBC daytime reality series Starting Over from 2003 to 2004. Although Harkin never appeared on the show, his voice was heard when his daughter spoke to him on the phone. She is currently a graduate student at the UCLA Anderson School of Management.
In 2002, Senator Harkin gave a nationally televised and controversial eulogy for Senator Paul Wellstone, a close ally in the Senate who perished in a plane crash 11 days before his potential re-election. In the eulogy, Harkin urged the crowd to “stand up for Paul" and talked about “passing on Paul's legacy” and to win the 2002 Senate election “For Paul” — statements that drew loud cheers and were interpreted by some as overt political references and inappropriate for a memorial service.[citation needed]
While running for his Senate seat in 1984, and again while running for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1992, Harkin has faced criticism for claiming that he had flown combat missions over North Vietnam. In a 1979 round table discussion with other Congressional Veterans, Harkin said of his service as a Navy pilot: “One year was in Vietnam. I was flying F-4s and F-8s on combat air patrols and photo-reconnaissance support missions”. These comments were later published in a 1981 book by David Broder. After subsequent inquiries by Barry Goldwater and The Wall Street Journal, Harkin clarified that that he had been stationed in Japan and sometimes flew recently repaired aircraft on test missions over Vietnam. His service flying F-4s and F-8s was later, while he was stationed in Cuba.[6] [7] References to this controversy were deleted from Wikipedia by staffers from Harkin's senate office.[2]
In June 2001, the Des Moines Register reported that Senator Harkin had “inadvertently omitted” $200,000 in Conoco stock owned by his wife Ruth and some $15,000 owned by their daughter Amy on his Senate financial statement.[citation needed]
In 2003/2004 Harkin remained neutral in the race for the Democratic nomination for president, until 11 days before the Iowa caucus, when he endorsed Vermont Governor Howard Dean. Dean was then considered the front runner, but his support plummeted in the final week and he finished a weak third, twenty points behind the winner John Kerry. Harkin stood behind Dean as the Governor delivered his now infamous "Scream" speech on the night of his defeat. Some criticized Harkin for jumping on the Dean bandwagon, while he admitted to some that Missouri Congressman Richard Gephardt was actually his favorite candidate. Harkin soon distanced himself from Dean and urged him to drop out of the race.
In September of 2006 Senator Harkin commented on Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's September 20th 2006 United Nations speech in which Chavez referred to President George Bush as the devil. Senator Harkin said that while Chavez's comments were “incendiary,” he could “… understand the frustration, ah, and the anger of certain people around the world because of George Bush's policies”.[3] In September of 2007, Harkin demanded apology from General Pace - the week before Pace's military retirement - for condemning homosexuality and adultery in the military. After Pace mentioned that the UCMJ prohibits both of these activities, Harkin voiced his desire to have the code changed to accommodate homosexuality and adultery. (AP, Sept 27, 2007)
In September 2007 Senator Tom Harkin became part of the "phony soldier" debate, which involved the comments of a nationally syndicated talk show host, Rush Limbaugh, a caller to his show, and allegations by the liberal organization known as Media Matters. Mr. Harkin injected himself in this debate when he took the senate floor to make a speech in which he attacked a private citizen for his comments on a radio talk show. Mr. Harkin’s speech, which in part, included the following remark:
"What’s most despicable is that Rush Limbaugh says these provocative things to make more money. So he castigates our soldiers. This makes more news. It becomes the news. More people tune in. He makes more money. Well, I don’t know. Maybe he was just high on his drugs again. I don’t know whether he was or not."
In an October 26, 2007 letter to an Iowa voter he responded that, "Labeling those who disagree with the war or the President’s conduct of the war as 'phony soldiers' belittles many thousands of men and women serving with our Armed Forces in Iraq. A December 2006 poll conducted by the Military Times found that 42 percent of service members disapproved of President Bush's handling of the war, while just 35 percent supported it. Although these men and women disagree with their commander-in-chief they continue to perform their jobs with enormous courage, competence, and commitment. I believe that is cause for admiration and praise, not name-calling."
In this letter Mr. Harkin did not address the Iowan's allegation of using Senate time to make a personal attack on a private citizen nor did he address his demeaning the citizen in his reference to substance abuse, a remark that the Iowan felt was "a cheap shot and below the belt." Mr. Harkin was also a signatory to a letter from congress on this same subject that called for the talk show's host to "publicly repudiate these comments that call into question their service and sacrifice and to ask Mr. Limbaugh to apologize for his comments." This letter was later auctioned off on eBay and raised $2,100,100, which was matched by Mr. Limbaugh yielding a donation of $4,200,200 to the Marine Corp Law Enforcement Foundation, an organization that supports the families of those killed in action.
Character of Senator and former Wisconsin Governor Bart Nilson in novel and film Primary Colors is loosely based on Harkin and his '92 Presidential bid.
- Harkin, Tom and Thomas, C. E. Five Minutes to Midnight: Why the Nuclear Threat Is Growing Faster Than Ever, Carol Publishing Corporation, 1990. ISBN 1-55972-042-5
2002 Iowa United States Senatorial Election
| Tom Harkin (D) 54% |
| Greg Ganske (R) 44% |
| Tim Harthan (Green) 1% |
1996 Iowa United States Senatorial Election
| Tom Harkin (D) 52% |
| Jim Ross Lightfoot (R) 47% |
1990 Iowa United States Senatorial Election
| Tom Harkin (D) (inc.) 54% |
| Tom Tauke (R) 46% |
1984 Iowa United States Senatorial Election
| Tom Harkin (D) 55.5% |
| Roger Jepsen (R) (inc.) 43.7% |
- ^ Miller, Judith. "Tom Harkin's Old-Time Religion", The New York Times, February 9, 1992. Accessed November 6, 2007. "After his mother died, Harkin, an altar boy, went to Dowling Catholic High School in Des Moines and won a Navy R.O.T.C. scholarship to college."
- ^ Political Skeletons, Cut and Paste
- ^ http://www.radioiowa.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=8C3EC029-0D65-438F-8DF5DC1C34C97445&dbtranslator=local.cfm
- United States Senator Tom Harkin official Senate site
- Tom Harkin's biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Tom Harkin's voting record maintained by The Washington Post
- Tom Harkin's campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
- Tom Harkin's campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
- Tom Harkin's biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
- Tom Harkin's issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
- New York Times — Tom Harkin News collected news and commentary
- SourceWatch Congresspedia — Tom Harkin profile
- Tom Harkin - Congressional Staff Salary Information
| United States House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by William J. Scherle |
Member from Iowa's 5th congressional district 1975 – 1985 |
Succeeded by Jim Ross Lightfoot |
| United States Senate | ||
| Preceded by Roger W. Jepsen |
Senator from Iowa (Class 2) 1985 – present Served alongside: Charles Grassley |
Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Richard Lugar |
Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee 2001 – 2003 |
Succeeded by Thad Cochran |
| Preceded by Saxby Chambliss |
Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee 2007 – present |
Incumbent |
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| Senators | Chuck Grassley (R), Tom Harkin (D) |
| Representative(s) | Bruce Braley (D), David Loebsack (D), Leonard Boswell (D), Tom Latham (R), Steve King (R) |
| All delegations | Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming — American Samoa • District of Columbia • Guam • Puerto Rico • U.S. Virgin Islands |
Categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements since February 2007 | 1939 births | Iowa lawyers | Living people | American anti-Vietnam War activists | Members of the United States House of Representatives from Iowa | Slovenian Americans | United States Navy officers | United States Senators from Iowa | The Catholic University of America alumni | United States presidential candidates | Democratic Party (United States) politicians