Richard Thornburgh has passed away. Robert D. McFadden (NEW YORK TIMES):
He resigned as attorney general in 1991 to run in a special election for the unexpired term of Senator John Heinz, a Pennsylvania Republican who had been killed in a midair plane crash. Harris Wofford, a Democrat and former Pennsylvania labor secretary, had been appointed temporarily, and leading Republicans were eager for Mr. Thornburgh to win the seat back, and perhaps use it as a steppingstone to the presidency.
Mr. Thornburgh was heavily favored. But after a sluggish campaign, in which he continued to talk about being tough on crime, he lost to Mr. Wofford, a former college president and aide to John F. Kennedy, in that rarest of political rarities, an upset landslide. Mr. Wofford overcame a 47 percent Thornburgh lead in the polls and won going away, by a 56 to 44 margin of victory.
Noting Joe Doherty, professor and international law expert Francis A. Boyle comments:
As Bush’s Attorney General Thornburgh personally appeared in the United States Supreme Court to argue the case for Joe Doherty’s deportation, just to drive home the political point by Bush Sr. for the Brits instead of having the US Solicitor General arguing the case against Joe. The Irish in Pennsylvania mobilized to defeat Thornburgh in that Special Election. Just as We Irish mobilized to defeat Bush Sr for re-election in 1992. Good riddance to both of them! fab.
Francis A. Boyle
Law Building
504 E. Pennsylvania Ave.
Champaign IL 61820 USA
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(personal comments only)
