Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith issued the following statement.
U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), who represented Mississippi in Congress for more than 45 years, passed away peacefully early Thursday morning in Oxford. Services are pending.
Cochran, a Navy veteran who eventually served as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Senate Agriculture Committee, resigned from the Senate in April 2018 due to health concerns.
Cochran’s family extends its gratitude for the support shown to the Senator by Mississippians over the years.
Kingfish note: Meanwhile, the press releases start to flow.
Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann
“One of Mississippi’s greatest public servants passed today. His life’s work is imprinted on each of us through his leadership in education, agriculture, hurricane relief, and his calm approach to the major issues impacting our State and our Country.”
Speaker of the House Phillip Gunn
“Sen. Cochran was a true statesman and served our state with class and distinction,” said Speaker of the House Philip Gunn. “Lisa and I express our condolences to his family and pray for their comfort during this time of loss.”
Governor Phil Bryant
“Mississippi and our nation have lost a true statesman in Thad Cochran. He was a legend in the United States Senate where he worked tirelessly to move his state and country forward. He was one of our longest serving senators, and his influence can be felt in every corner of Mississippi. Whether it was fighting for resources during the dark days following Hurricane Katrina on the Coast or being a zealous advocate for farmers in the Delta, he dedicated himself to serving all Mississippians. The Quiet Persuader dominated Mississippi politics for nearly half a century, and he did so by being a gentleman. Senator Cochran has left a legacy of public service that should serve as an inspiration for all Americans. I am requesting that flags be flown at half-staff in Mississippi. Deborah and I are praying for the Cochran family during this difficult time.”
Congressman Michael Guest
“I
am saddened to learn of
the passing of Senator Thad Cochran. He devoted his life to serving his
state and nation and set the standard of public service that we can all
strive towards. He will be remembered for his dedication to the people
of Mississippi, and his legacy as a statesman
will provide a model of service for our future leaders to follow.
While
serving in the U.S. House
of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, Senator Cochran was a champion
for Mississippi. He worked tirelessly for farmers and to promote rural
development. He helped strengthen our Armed Forces as Chairman of the
Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee,
and he spearheaded the effort to appropriate much-needed federal
assistance to the Mississippi Coast to address the devastation left by
Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Mississippi benefited greatly from Senator
Cochran’s leadership as Chairman of the Senate Appropriations
Committee and his legislative abilities. We will continue to enjoy the
benefits of his tenure for generations to come.
My prayers are with his family
during this difficult time and my thoughts are with our entire state as we remember the life of a great Mississippian.”
Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves
"Senator Thad Cochran is a giant in our state and in our country—a statesman through and through. Anyone who had the privilege of spending time with him knows that his wit and wisdom were unmatched. Elee and I are praying for Kay and the entire Cochran family today. He is at the same time a legend and a truly decent, good man—rare in our line of work. Void of ego and full of life, with friends in every corner of our state. He will always be remembered and sorely missed."
Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney
“My thoughts and prayers are with the family of Senator Thad Cochran. I have the upmost respect for the Senator who represented Mississippi so well. He was a true statesman and a personal friend whom I knew and supported throughout his political career. His passing is the end of an era as Thad set an example for those who have followed him.
Senator Roger Wicker
U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today released the following statement after learning of the passing of U.S. Senator Thad Cochran, R-Miss., who represented Mississippi in Congress for more than 45 years:
“Thad
Cochran was a giant in the United States Senate and one of the greatest
champions Mississippi has ever known. He was also a dear personal
friend for decades. My wife, Gayle, and I extend
our heartfelt condolences to the Cochran family at this time.
“When
Thad Cochran left the Senate, I was reminded of Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow, who wrote, “Lives of great men all remind us we can make our
lives sublime, and departing leave behind us footprints
on the sands of time.”
“Thad
Cochran’s footprints are all around us. From his career in the Navy
through his retirement in 2018, his life was marked by service to this
country.
“The
American economy is experiencing historic growth today in no small part
because of the foundations laid by Thad Cochran. Our nation’s military
is stronger, groundbreaking federal research
continues to advance, our citizens are healthier, and rural and
agricultural communities from the Mississippi Delta all across this
country are more vibrant.
“I
am grateful and honored to have known him, learned from him, and been
his friend. America is a better country because of Thad Cochran.”
State Senator Chris McDaniel
Thad served in the Senate my entire life. He was a patriarch of the
Republican Party in Mississippi, and I grew up admiring him as a
towering political figure and a gentleman. Although our political
differences became apparent, my respect for him remains unchanged. If
Heaven has a Senate, I trust Mississippi now holds a key chairmanship.
Godspeed, Senator.
“My thoughts and prayers are with Senator Cochran’s family and friends, and the multitude of Mississippians who served as part of his extraordinary staff. Senator Cochran served his state and nation with honor and dignity and leaves a legacy of statesmanship and service that will benefit Mississippians for decades to come.”
U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today issued the following statement regarding the passing of U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.):
Mississippi GOP Chairman Lucien Smith
“My thoughts and prayers are with Senator Cochran’s family and friends, and the multitude of Mississippians who served as part of his extraordinary staff. Senator Cochran served his state and nation with honor and dignity and leaves a legacy of statesmanship and service that will benefit Mississippians for decades to come.”
Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith
U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today issued the following statement regarding the passing of U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.):
“Mississippi
has suffered a tremendous loss today. Senator Thad Cochran was an
incredible leader and a most respected member of the United States
Senate. My colleagues
who served with him consistently speak of him with such high regard.
So many have said to me that he was truly their favorite Senator and
friend. He treated everyone with distinction, and had a caring and
concerned heart for his constituents and the state
he so dearly loved.
“Mississippi
is a better place because of his leadership that was guided by wisdom
and faith. One of my most cherished moments, which I will hold in my
heart forever, is
playing God Bless America on the piano while he sang it in his Senate
office on his last day there.
“My husband Michael and I send our deepest sympathy to his family at this time.”
29 comments:
May he rest in peace.
“Fair winds and following seas, Sir. We have the watch.” Was very helpful to fellow Vets.
Let's not overlook the FIRST (self serving) press release. It was sent out by Hyde-Smith's office.
RIP to the Senator. I had his bumper sticker as far back as '77. Still have it on a box. It's orange and white and just says THAD.
His true legacy will in that he was the primary architect of getting Mississippi fully addicted to, and dependent on federal pork dollars. He championed nothing that led to Mississippi being financially self-sustaining, culturally progressive, and pretty much cemented Mississippi at the bottom. The only people who "loved" him, were (and are) those who politically benefitted from his efforts to be popular by getting federal dollars for Mississippi. Wicker and Hyde-Smith continue that legacy, and will do nothing more.....until Mississippi goes belly up when the federal economic winter hits.
Say what you will about federal "pork" dollars, but Mississippi would look worse than Puerto Rico without it. I'm glad we had people like Senator Cochran who made this a better place to live for his constituents. His family is in my prayers.
"Federal dollars" = bribing the taxpayers with their own money.
12:06- Wrong. Bribing Mississippians with New York and California tax dollars.
The billions of payroll dollars alone, pumped into the town of Pascagoula, including a hundred mile radius, over the past 70 years has spoken well for what our past senators have done in the way of bringing jobs to this state. Call it pork if you will, but it put a lot of bacon in a lot of refrigerators. And bought a lot of refrigerators.
I don't know about looking like Puerto Rico, but there's a damned good chance the entire state would resemble the 18 Delta counties had we not been proactive in bringing home the bacon. We didn't send Cochran to D.C. to vote for Ted Kennedy's restrictions on Massachusetts shoreline windmills. We sent him up there to represent Mississippi.
Cochran's efforts (as well as those of Stennis and Eastland) don't come close to the pork brought into West Virginia by Klansman Robert Byrd. And as soon as we can get Hyde-Smith replaced, we'll be back on the road to something besides fielding and sending out wire service announcements regarding things she doesn't have JACK to do with.
Nothing against Thad Cochran, who seemed like a decent person ...
But the hero-worship is misguided. Cochran got elected to represent constituents and did the job he was elected to do. He wasn't a "giant" or a "legend," he was a public servant doing solid, expected work. He didn't sacrifice; he lived a life of great privilege while doing what we paid him to do. With due respect, he had his reward in full.
Part of the reason we get mainly megalomaniacs and sociopaths running for office is the idol worship, like naming buildings after people whose only role was to allocate other people's money to build them.
The best thing I can say about Cochran is, if any lifelong politician could've done without all this, it probably would've been him.
11:07 why don't you leave the State then for a place, oh let's say, LIKE HELL!
I disagree with everyone! Thad was a cool dude and in his last campaign, he became honored and revered amongst fratboys and srat girls alike! I think he was one of the most underrated legislators of our time. Can we replace Thompson please??
RIP Senator. Anybody who uses a man's death to denigrate his life's work or his character just needs to move. A handful of JJ posters are just pitiful.
Hey Chris, May 30, 2019 at 11:07 AM
I suppose had you been elected that you would not have taken opportunities for Mississippi?
Job well done, Senator Cochran. Rest in peace, Sir.
@11:07
His job was not to create a financially self-sustaining state. That's the job of the Mississippi Legislature.
He did the job he was elected to do and did it well. He was a statesman and one of the last few legislators willing to work with people who did not look, think, or act like him.
Please go read history - the good and bad - and admit Thad Cochran will be remembered as among the greatest Mississippian.
Amen 12:42
11:07 you clearly have never had an issue with the federal bureaucracy. Thad Cochran probably helped thousands of folks get their social security benefits, veterans benefits, projects for their community that made a difference, like decent water service, safer airports, and the list goes on. What kid of Senator worth his/her salt doesn't look out for his state? What kind of a Senator doesn't put the needs of his constituency first? We don't just elect representatives to deal in platitudes and ideals, we elect them to get something done on behalf of the state.
Mother of God, look at the amount of actual text on the front page of that newspaper! It’s like we were literate once or something.
Thad was a good person and good Senator that stayed in office way too long. Terms limits please.
@4:48. Good point. Didn’t notice or think about it till you pointed it out. Sure looks different from the C-L or any newspaper today. We gotta have pictures!
No matter your political persuasion, I think we can all agree that The Clarion Ledger sucks. I read the obits, and then go to this blog and WLBT.com for local news. It’s about as sorry as sorry can be.
His true legacy will in that he was the primary architect of getting Mississippi fully addicted to, and dependent on federal pork dollars. He championed nothing that led to Mississippi being financially self-sustaining, culturally progressive, and pretty much cemented Mississippi at the bottom.
Hell, the Mississippi State Legislature gives him the lay-up to do it every year, because they can't do sh*t right!? They don't know how to bring in revenues, generate revenues, or manage the piggy bank they have now!? And when I mean piggy bank, I mean that seriously!
Now I can't argue with you on the pork dollars, you are right we get it and are dependent of it, its what keeps this state functioning at a bare minimum.
But if you are going to wag your finger about the federal money, being culturally regressive, and being cemented at the bottom - look no further than who we keep electing to statewide offices and to the state capitol.
Bennie Thompson said on TV this morning of Senator Cochran and I quote, " He did the best that he could for all Mississippians.." What a low bred piece of shit. I hope that is all someone can muster to say about you - you buffoon.
Unlike our current Senators, Thad never embarrassed Mississippi. May he Rest In Peace.
@9:52am
What did you find so appalling about Bennie Thompson's comment? Let's be real, most politicians probably don't give a rat's a$$ about their "constituents". They generally only cater to the special interests until election time when they need our votes.
Was his comment a bit of a backhanded compliment? Heck yeah! However, he did not crap on Cochran's name! My guess is, Bennie and Thad dealt with each other as little as possible, and that is the saddest thing of all. They both should be working for the good of all of Mississippi and our country, not their special friends.
@ May 31, 2019 at 11:59 AM
Well said!
Here's Bennie's tweet, "I would like to offer my condolences to the family of former U.S. Senator Thad Cochran. He was an excellent public servant who understood the necessity of diversity and inclusion. Cochran’s talents will be missed by all Mississippians."
Additionally, Bennie Thompson gave credit to Thad Cochran for assisting with obtaining grants for the historically black colleges in Mississippi.
He didn't give a back hand to Thad Cochran, he was gracious and respectful. Gave credit where credit was due.
12:24 - So, to be clear, you consider it gracious and respectful for Thompson to mention diversity and inclusion? That's nothing more than Thompson's racist breeding and lifelong legacy of preaching hatred, racial separation and victim-hood.
And, wait....Thompson also gave Cochran credit for obtaining grants for black groups. Hell, that's the entirety of Thompson's efforts and success over the past 30 years...seeking grants and handouts. Show us one job Thompson has brought to his district as counter-balanced with the millions of payroll dollars Cochran has brought to this state.
Sens. Wicker and Hyde-Smith are certainly not Sen. Cochran, but I trust they will continue a legacy of representation and leadership. R.I.P. Thad.
I still have my 2014 "Thad for MS" sign from the primary days.
He played the hand he was dealt with some success for the people of Mississippi. And sucking entitlements for all Mississippian's from the wealthier states seems to be the overall game plan for Jackson so what else could the man have done? At least the man represented the state with some dignity which is becoming out of fashion these days.
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