"Lion of the Senate"? Since when?

[handsomeharry]

Since the death of Edward Kennedy, I keep hearing him referred to as the Lion of the Senate. Was this a new name just made up for him after his death, and repeated ad nauseum in the last few days, or is it of older vintage?

Thanks,
hh

[Squink]

I heard him referred to as that back in the mid 80’s.
Thought it was stupid at the time, still do.
However, I can live with it for a few days, before it goes away forever.
At least this isn’t princess Di’s funeral all over again.

[boytyperanma]

I’ve heard him refereed to as a lion many times before his death. ‘Liberal Lion’ was a lot more common though. When he took the floor he was often very loud in voicing his opinion. The press have used headlines like ‘Ted Kennedy was roaring at the senate’ for some time.

[The_Great_Philosopher]

Wiki has some links to articles that refer to him as the the lion of the senate or some variation on that (“the lion” or the “Senate lion”) from earlier this year and one from early 2008. But it does seem like “lion of the senate” has only become so solidified and so prominently attached to him since he died. Personally I think the way the media has fawned over him is pretty callous, seeming to me to sum up the Chappaquiddick incident as barely more than a stumbling block in his political career when he effectively abandoned a young woman to die, but I guess that’s not GQ territory.

[Cliffy]

It’s been in regular use for a decade at least, as that’s the first time I heard it. It became more commonly known in the last several years, when the blogosphere started creating places where liberals could talk about liberal politics without being pilloried.

–Cliffy

[Dewey_Finn]

I’m looking in the New York Times archives, and find the phrase used to refer to Senators Fulbright and Johnson (“His [Fulbright’s] opposition to the wasteful and unjust war in Vietnam led him to confront another old lion of the Senate, Lyndon B. Johnson.”) in a 1995 article and Sen Wellstone in 1993 (“Energetic and earnest, Mr. Wellstone, who is from Minnesota, has a manner more like an eager puppy than a lion of the Senate.”).

[zamboniracer]

It is a meaningless honorific, like “The King of Pop”, “The Queen of Soul” or “The Most Trusted Man in America.” Pay it no mind.

[Elendil_s_Heir]

Ted certainly had the big, blocky head for it.

[JRDelirious]

@Dewey_Finn

I’m looking in the New York Times archives, and find the phrase used to refer to Senators Fulbright and Johnson (“His [Fulbright’s] opposition to the wasteful and unjust war in Vietnam led him to confront another old lion of the Senate, Lyndon B. Johnson.”) in a 1995 article and Sen Wellstone in 1993 (“Energetic and earnest, Mr. Wellstone, who is from Minnesota, has a manner more like an eager puppy than a lion of the Senate.”).

So it seems it meant a senior, powerful Senator in general, and became attached to Kennedy as “THE” Lion of the Senate towards the end of his career as he grew into an iconic figure and it became obvious he would be coming to the end of it. I do remember the phrase being used last year specially around the Obama endorsement and the Convention speech.

[Jophiel]

The earliest hits on LexisNexis for “Lion of the Senate” is from 1982 but not attached to Kennedy. Oddly enough, the first hit I find directly connecting the phrase to Kennedy is in a Washington Times article in 1995 which states:

One wonders what a balanced budget crafted by Mr. Kennedy would look like. Where would he choose to cut? Or would the only live option be a new round of confiscatory taxation? Whatever options he would choose, surely Mr. Kennedy is up to the task: He is so often cited as the great legislative lion of the Senate.

So someone was calling him that prior to 1995 and doing so on a regular basis. But I can’t find an earlier cite.

[Jophiel]

@Dewey_Finn

I’m looking in the New York Times archives, and find the phrase used to refer to Senators Fulbright and Johnson (“His [Fulbright’s] opposition to the wasteful and unjust war in Vietnam led him to confront another old lion of the Senate, Lyndon B. Johnson.”) in a 1995 article and Sen Wellstone in 1993 (“Energetic and earnest, Mr. Wellstone, who is from Minnesota, has a manner more like an eager puppy than a lion of the Senate.”).

I have a 1991 transcript of a CBS program with Bob Schieffer saying:

But the old lion of the Senate, Byrd of Virginia, said he had planned to vote for Thomas and now he was switching.

[rocking_chair]

@Elendil_s_Heir

Ted certainly had the big, blocky head for it.

it’s the hair. if he was bald he would no doubt be the eagle of the senate.

[C.Montgomery_Burns]

I’ve heard him referred to as “the liberal lion of the senate” many times. Much more often in the last ten years or so. I’m guessing the moniker gained widespread the more he settled into his “elder statesman” role. To me, it was a fitting name. I don’t agree with his politics, but I greatly admire his tireless dedication to the duties of his office. He took his role as senator very seriously and was one of the hardest working politicians in Washington up until his health failed.