... or former Wisconsin governor Lee Sherman Dreyfuss, to the uninitiated. He was the dark horse Republican candidate for governor in 1978, starting his campaign with a grand total of $17,000 in the bank -- and he won! He was a unique politician in that he was an educator, and he understood the value of education. He ran a populist campaign much like Paul Wellstone's, crisscrossing the state in an old school bus, wearing a signature red vest, and shaking hands with people.He was the kind of Republican that perhaps people mean today when they say, "I'm not a Bush Republican." He was very progressive on social issues, and signed into law landmark legislation protecting gays and lesbians from discrimination. Just last year he publicly opposed a Constitutional amendment banning gay marriage and civil unions in Wisconsin. I believe he was also pro-choice. Both he and his wife were huge supporters of funding for the arts.
He had a few moments of infamy. He signed a law decriminalizing oral sex between consenting adults, with some comment about how everyone does it so it shouldn't be illegal. I remember my brother saying, "Governor Dreyfuss is a muff diver" at which we both laughed hysterically. He also took a record surplus and gave it back to Wisconsin citizens in the form of a check in the mail, a move which later caused an economic crisis when the next recession hit. But I still have a print on my wall that I bought at an art fair using my LSD refund. His wife, Joyce, infuriated Wisconsin beekeepers when she made the comment that when she was a little girl she thought that honey was "bee poop."
I don't remember when the Bee Gees came to town, but it must have been when they were riding the disco wave. It's hard to tell in a black and white photo, but LSD has a shiny Bee Gees jacket and the Gibb brothers are wearing red vests.
This is all to say that they don't make Republicans -- and indeed, politicians of any stripe -- like they used to. That's a loss for all of us.
(Read more about LSD here.)
4 comments:
At the time, I was not fond of LSD. In retrospect, despite the fact that he entered office with a budget surplus (courtesy of the Democrat governor he replaced) and left office with a budget deficit, he seems rather progressive compared to contemporary politicians, both republican and democrat. He certainly didn't have the mean-spirited approach to politics that most republicans have today. Of course, even Richard Nixon looks progressive compared to contemporary democrats, not to mention contemporary rethuglicans, so what the heck. Funny how things change.
They don't make a lot of things like they used to and I'm not saying this because I am older. Well, not only because I am older.
This was a very interesting and enjoyable post with the added fun of an out loud laugh!
After watching the "debates" last night (until nausea and boredom crept in) I had to wonder what LSD would do in such a forum. I did find him annoying when he was governor, but that was ok. He got me thinking and he wasn't the usual "sound bite". That is good, whether I agree with the fellow or not.
Thanks for this post. I saw the headline, and I tried to remember who he was and what he stood for. I remembered the red vest, but never new about the oral sex part. Oh my. I agree with you and Pam that they don't make Republicans like that anymore.
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