She was the last great Senator from Kansas. She stands head and shoulders above who have served since. A moderate Republican, she put policy before politics and was known for working across the aisle even when it wasn’t popular. She even voted in support of President Clinton backed legislation to ban assault weapons. She said that vote got her a lot of hate mail, but her vote was the right one.
Her own words ring with truth:
“I know full well I could not be reelected today,” she said. “It’s not that I’ve changed so much.”
Kassebaum Baker broke with the Republican Party as it became more conservative, she endorsed endorsing Democratic candidates for Kansas governor and U.S. senator, including Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly both times.
“She loved Kansas. She loved people from Kansas and representing Kansas for 18 years in the U.S. Senate,” said her son Bill Kassebaum to The Associated Press. “She was an independent-minded Republican who was willing to stand up for what she thought was right, even if that meant going against the party.”
The daughter of former Kansas Gov. Alf Landon, she served three terms in the U.S. Senate before returning to private life, although she married former Tennessee senator Howard Baker, who was later appointed Ambassador to Japan.
She returned to Kansas after his death and wasn’t afraid to comment on politics when she felt like it.
We need more people like Nancy Kassebaum Baker in Congress. May we see more elected in November.
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