Renegade: The Life and Times of Senator David MacKenzie (R-VT)

[Oldiesfreak1854]

"Dave MacKenzie represents the best of the Republican party: a commitment to civil rights, low taxes, limited government, and individual freedom.  He's managed to win several elections in a very liberal state by campaigning on his moderate demeanor and emphasizing his fiscal conservatism.  And I think that if the GOP is going to move forward and win more elections, we need to take a page out of his playbook."

-Fmr. Gov. Christine Todd Whitman (R-NJ)

"Dave MacKenzie represents a shining light in the Republican party of today.  He does what he thinks is best for America, regardless of ideology or party politics, and he does it in a manner that upholds our party's long tradition of moderation and progress.  He reminds me a lot of Governor Romney, or President Ford, or Vice President Rockefeller in that regard."

-Fmr. Gov. William G. Milliken (R-MI)

"Dave believes in the same conservative values and principles as myself and other Republicans across this country, but he knows how to communicate those values.  He knows that conservatives must work for the good of all Americans, regardless of their race, sex, age, or income.  He's proven that to be a winning plan by being elected multiple times in one of the most liberal states.  And I truly believe that the future of our party lies in people like that."

-Fmr. Rep. Jack Kemp (R-NY)

"Dave MacKenzie believes in the Republican party that I'm proud to be a member of...as long as people like him remain strong in the GOP, then our future as a party is very bright."

-Fmr. Gov. Jim Edgar (R-IL)

"The Republican party is in good hands with leaders like Dave MacKenzie."

-Fmr. Gov. Arne Carlson (R-MN)

"Dave MacKenzie is the GOP's proud past and its strong future."

-Fmr. Gov. William Weld (R-MA)

"The Republican party needs more leaders like Dave MacKenzie moving forward."

-Fmr. Rep. John Anderson (R-IL)

"Dave represents a much-needed voice of reason on the right, and I'm proud to call him a friend and ally."

-Fmr. Rep. Steve LaTourette (R-OH)

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Who are Dave's main rivals looking at '96 within the party?

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Who are Dave's main rivals looking at '96 within the party?

I haven't quite gotten to that yet.  He's still in college at the point I'm at.
At this point, they'll probably be some combination of Pete Wilson, Jesse Helms, Bob Dole, and Jack Kemp.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

"I met Dave in Birmingham during the Freedom Rides in 1961.  I never expected that he would soon join me in Congress.  I never understood how someone like him could have such conservative views, but he's become a very good friend over the years.  Between our work in the civil rights movement and our time as colleagues in Congress, I think we learned to transcend political differences and recognize each other as concerned Americans working for the greater good."

-Rep. John Lewis (D-GA)

"Dave MacKenzie reminds me a lot of myself back in the 60s.  Of course, I was still a Democrat back then, but he represents the kind of people that were left behind in all the upheaval of that decade: the people who supported equal rights for all Americans but opposed the destruction of our nation's moral framework that came with the counterculture.  I supported him and donated to him in his Senate campaigns, and I don't regret that for a moment.  I never really committed to supporting him for president, though, because I thought the Republican party had a lot of other good candidates that year."

-Charlton Heston (1923-2008), in an interview, discussing his political activism

"Dave was one of my best allies in the Congress when I was in the White House.  He generally allied himself with the moderate Republicans in caucuses and committees, but you usually couldn't distinguish his voting record from even the most conservative Republicans in the Senate.  He wasn't just a Senator for Vermont; he was a Senator for every conservative American who believed in a big tent, pragmatism, and progress.  He always seemed to care more about the country than about his party, and I always admired that."

-Former President George H.W. Bush

"I got to know Dave very well over the years.  I first met him and Donna when they were working on my Senate campaign in 1966.  I was already out of the Senate by the time he got there, but by then he had become a very good friend and ally.  I donated to his Senate campaigns, and I was also one of the first major political figures to endorse him for president in 1996.  I guess you could say I was repaying the favor, but I imagine that I would've supported him even if I hadn't known him personally."

-Fmr. Sen. Edward Brooke (R-MA)

Edit: I changed it so that Lewis meets MacKenzie in Birmingham instead of Nashville.

[Oakvale]

So this is just you inventing quotes about yourself DAVE MACKENZIE and ascribing them to various politicians?

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Come on, there's no way he didn't bang Sharon at some point.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Pleasuring yourself is a sin, Oldies.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Come on, there's no way he didn't bang Sharon at some point.

Patience, my friend.

So this is just you inventing quotes about yourself DAVE MACKENZIE and ascribing them to various politicians?

Come on, those are just fillers until I can get a real update.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Continued from "The Long and Winding Road"
Slow Ride
Nashville, Tennessee
May 14, 1961

Dave parked his Oldsmobile at the bus terminal and took a deep breath.  He had arrived in Nashville a day before with nothing but the clothes on his back and an empty glass bottle of Moxie he had bought and drank back home in Vermont.  The lot was filled with black and white activists ready to board the racially segregated buses and challenge Southern Jim Crow laws on public transportation.  Dave stood among the crowd for a moment, and when he was ready, he boarded one of the buses, waiting for them to leave the station.  As he was walking down the aisle of the bus, he spotted a young white man sitting at the front, the only other one among the white female and black passengers.  He extended his right hand out and said, "Hi, I'm Dave.  Nice to meet you." 
"Nice to meet you too.  My name's Jim.  Jim Zwerg," the man replied, grabbing Dave's hand and shaking with him.
"Well, Jim, it appears that we're the only white guys on this bus.  I guess there's strength in numbers, even if they're small ones."
"Whatever," Jim quietly answered.
"Well, Jim, I'm going to the back of the bus.  If the colored folks have to sit back there, then it only makes sense that a white man like me sit there."  With that, Dave made his way to the rear of the bus, taking his seat next to a young black woman.
"Hello," the woman answered shyly.
"Hi, my name's Dave.  Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too," the woman replied.  "Are you sure you're up to this?  You've heard what's happened to the other riders down in Birmingham, haven't you?"
"I heard about it on the radio on the way down here.  They got arrested and attacked by Klansmen.  What was the name of that commissioner down there?"
"You mean Bull Connor?"
"Yeah, him.  The name fits him well."
The woman sat silently as Dave went on.
"I'm not afraid of those guys.  I played football in high school.  I've faced tough guys enough times that I know by now how to beat them all."
"Where are you from anyway?"
"Vermont, but I'm going to school at MIT.  I'm hoping to go to law school at Harvard when I graduate."
"Hmm."
"My dad owns an appliance store and a Western Auto dealership back home.  He was proud of me for coming down here.  My mom didn't like it though.  She's terrified of what could happen to me.  But I can handle this.  I know I can."
No sooner had the words come out of his mouth than a young black man came walking down the aisle to the back.  He extended his hand out to Dave and said, "Nice to meet you.  I'm John.  John Lewis."

Birmingham, Alabama
Dave sat at the back of the bus, deep in thought.  As he had boarded the bus with the other riders, they had signed their last wills and testaments.  He knew very well that he might not come home from this ride.  He thought about his parents, he thought about his brother Bobby and his sister Susan, and he thought about Sharon.  As he thought more and more about them, he finally broke his silence.
"Anybody got a piece of paper, please?"
One of the riders got up and handed him a notepad and a pencil.  Dave quickly got to work, writing a message to his friends and family back home:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

As Dave finished the sentence, the bus pulled into the Birmingham terminal.  They were immediately greeted by a group of men in white hoods and a team of police officers.  Dave and the other riders got off the bus, while the crowd spit at them and jeered,

"Nig**r lovers, go home!"
"We don't want no coons on the bus!"

As Dave walked over to the "colored" waiting area, a Klansman hit him with a club.  Dave responded by punching him in the nose, as hard as he could.  He pushed the Klansman down and began hitting him with all his might, but the police ran over and started hitting back.  As Dave got up to start fighting the officers, they suddenly stopped hitting, until one of them simply said in a thick accent, "Son, come with me.  Y'all are under arrest for violating segregation laws on public transportation."

[Oldiesfreak1854]

"I owe a tremendous debt to my parents.  They taught me to be who I want to be and not to worry about what others think...I think that's why I consider myself a feminist.  But not 'that' kind of feminism. *laughs* I just never understood why women's freedom had to mean killing unborn children or burning bras.  Feminism should be about freedom and equality for women, pure and simple."

-Daughter Denise MacKenzie Cooney
Former Treasurer, Windsor County (Vermont) Republican Committee
Member, Susan B. Anthony List

[Oldiesfreak1854]

"Now our liberal friends like to call us the party of the rich and claim that we don't care about the poor or middle class because we believe in the success of capitalism and cutting taxes for the wealthy.  Well, I'd like to challenge them with this: the rich are the ones the run our businesses.  They're the ones that provide our jobs and our paychecks.  They may not need their taxes cut, but we need it so that they can invest, hire, and provide for the community.  If you want to live in a society based on class warfare and redistribution of wealth, then you don't belong in America.  Go to Cuba; go to Vietnam; go to North Korea, then see if you have more opportunity there.  If you ever return, you'll kiss the ground when you do."

Senator Dave MacKenzie (R-VT), in a speech to the Ripon Society

"In America, anyone can get rich.  You don't have to be born into wealth to make it here.  But stealing from those who are already rich is not the way to get rich for yourself.  In socialist states, you can't improve your lot, because the government will simply take the money you earned and give it to someone else.  Contrary to what Marx believed, socialism is not a step forward; it's a step backwards to feudalism.  Whatever class you are born into is where you will stay for the rest of your life.  You have no freedom and no opportunity.  That's no way to help the poor and the middle class in our country.  So how do you do get rich in America?  You work hard, you pay your taxes, and you obey the law."

-In a speech to the Ethan Allen Institute

[Oldiesfreak1854]

"I don't regret going on the Freedom Rides for a minute.  When I went down South in '61, I knew that I could get arrested or even killed.  But I knew it was the right thing to do.  You can't accomplish anything unless you have the guts to say, 'I'm going to do this, and damn the consequences, I'll do whatever it takes to make it happen.'" -Senator Dave MacKenzie

[Oldiesfreak1854]

I hope to have an update in the next few days.

[Mr. Jew]

I'm kind of new here bro, but it sounds like you just made this character as sort of a vehicle to voice your own personal views.

Just saying.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

I'm kind of new here bro, but it sounds like you just made this character as sort of a vehicle to voice your own personal views.

Just saying.

Yeah, I've heard that before.

[Bacon King]

Riveting story! Do you plan on updating it soon

[Oldiesfreak1854]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

-Vermont State Senator Dave MacKenzie (R), in a local TV appearance, October 1988

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Riveting story! Do you plan on updating it soon

I'm trying to whenever I have the time.