Wis. legislator is longest-serving

[rodeodance]

whow, in the days of McCarthy-----

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070107/ap_on_re_us/longest_serving_lawmaker

Wis. legislator is longest-serving

By RYAN J. FOLEY, Associated Press Writer 15 minutes ago

MADISON, Wis. - Fred Risser jokes about having been in the Legislature so long, the state is tearing down buildings he voted to construct.
ADVERTISEMENT

The 79-year-old Democratic state senator from Madison has served 50 years — longer than any of the nation's current 7,500 legislators. It became official Jan. 3, when New York Sen. John Marchi retired.

Marchi was elected in 1956, the year a 29-year-old Risser won his first race for the state Assembly, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

.......

When Risser won a special election to the state Senate in 1962, Dwight Eisenhower was president and Joseph McCarthy represented Wisconsin in the U.S. Senate. The liberal Risser has pushed to regulate smoking, protect abortion rights and increase funding for the University of Wisconsin and state employees.

He is considered highly ethical, though he has irritated opponents by tying up the Senate with procedural maneuvers when he opposes a bill.

.........

[LiberalFighter]

1. Proxmire, LaFollette, Soglin and other Wisconsinites

The bad ones? McCarthy, Dreyfus (LSD), Sensenberger NUT, Thompson

[TheMightyFavog]

2. Dreyfuss isn't all that bad...

He was a very vocal opponent of the Marrainge amendment.

[LiberalFighter]

3. Then he is a cut above the others mentioned

I don't get to keep up with Wisconsin news like I would if I was still there.

[LiberalFighter]

4. Just read a letter he wrote about the Taxpayers Bill of Rights

Surprised me!

[Jackpine Radical]

5. The best thing about the Dreyfus admin was ol' Bill Kraus.

They sometimes have him as the Republican on WPR's Friday politics show, and I swear if you didn't know his history you'd swear he was a particularly thoughtful and articulate Dem on the basis of most of the positions he espouses.