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<\/a>Former U.S. Sen. John Melcher, who died Thursday in Missoula at age 93, was a leading congressional supporter of federal farm bills and programs to fight hunger here and around the world.<\/p>\n<\/a>Former U.S. Sen. John Melcher, who died Thursday in Missoula at age 93, was a leading congressional supporter of federal farm bills and programs to fight hunger here and around the world.<\/p>\n
Melcher could work with the other members of Congress to get things done, but he also could be a lone wolf, when necessary, unafraid to go against his Democratic Party or the entire U.S. Senate. He served two terms in the Senate, from 1977 to 1989, succeeding fellow Democratic Sen. Mike Mansfield, who didn\u2019t seek re-election in 1976.<\/p>\n
Melcher had practiced as a veterinarian in Forsyth, where he served on the City Council starting in 1953, and as mayor from 1955 to 1961. He later served as a state representative and senator before winning a special election in 1969 as Montana\u2019s eastern district congressman. He served in the U.S. House until he was elected to the Senate.<\/p>\n
The lone veterinarian in Congress, Melcher kept cats in his Senate office.\u00a0 In Montana, Melcher probably answered more to \u201cDoc\u201d than to \u201cSenator.\u00a0 The Crow Indian Tribe gave him the name \u201cDull Knife.\u201d<\/p>\n
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<\/a>John Melcher<\/p><\/div>\n
Melcher was a self-described political moderate, who devoted much of his congressional career to agriculture issues. He supported energy and job-creating projects like the Alaskan Pipeline and backed Montana timber, mining and oil and gas projects, but worked to pass the first federal strip-mine legislation. Melcher, who chaired the Senate\u2019s Select Committee on Aging, sponsored bills to boost the cost-of-living formulas for retirees on Social Security.<\/p>\n
Melcher voted for President Ronald Reagan\u2019s tax cuts and supported a federal constitutional amendment to balance the federal budget. He opposed legalizing abortion and supported prayer in classrooms.<\/p>\n
In 1985, Melcher kept the Senate in session until 4 a.m. to block passage of a farm bill and pushed for higher subsidies for Montana farmers, the AP reported.<\/p>\n
Ironically, after Melcher lost for re-election in 1988, an analysis showed that voters in many of the rural counties that benefited most from his farm bills had turned on him.<\/p>\n
Melcher was unique in how he dealt with Montana reporters. He insisted on speaking by phone to reporters who had any questions, no matter how minor, and didn\u2019t shuffle them off on spokesmen, as most politicians do.<\/p>\n
In 1976, Melcher won the Senate seat by defeating Republican Stanley Burger by 64 to 36 percent.<\/p>\n
In 1982, the National Conservative Political Action Committee ran many TV ads contending Melcher was \u201ctoo liberal\u201d and \u201cout-of-step\u201d with Montanans.\u00a0 The same group had helped oust nine U.S. senators in 1980.<\/p>\n
Melcher responded with the famous, or infamous, \u201ctalking cows\u201d ad. It showed some sleazy city slickers, carrying NCPAC briefcases brimming with cash, getting off an airplane as cattle grazed in a nearby pasture.\u00a0 The cows, chewing their cud, talked and denounced the group\u2019s intervention in the race. \u201cMontanans aren\u2019t buying it, especially those who know bull when they hear it,\u201d one cow said.<\/p>\n
Melcher defeated Republican Larry Williams that year, 55 to 42 percent.<\/p>\n
Before the 1988 election, Republican Senate leaders came to Montana to recruit someone to run against Melcher, who was seen as unbeatable. Many top state GOP politicians declined.\u00a0 Finally, Conrad Burns, a Yellowstone County commissioner and former farm broadcaster and auctioneer, jumped in the race.<\/p>\n
Burns suggested Melcher had lost touch with Montanans. As he traveled across Eastern Montana, Burns spoke to crowds of farmers and ranchers and asked, \u201cAnyone seen ol\u2019 Doc lately?\u201d<\/p>\n
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<\/a><\/div><\/div>In his last couple of years in the Senate, Melcher traveled extensively to the Philippines and sponsored a number of bills to help Philippine people become U.S. citizens. He was the one of the last senators to support Philippine leaders\/dictators Ferdinand Marcos and his wife and successor, Imelda Marcos. A later Philippine audit showed the Marcos family had spent many thousands dollars entertaining Melcher when he visited the country.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/lastbestnews.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/Chuck-Johnson.jpg\")
<\/a>Chuck Johnson has covered Montana politics for more than 45 years and appears on the \u201cCampaign Beat\u201d show on Montana Public Radio. This piece appeared originally on\u00a0