# Who has embarrassed your state the most? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 29, 2007, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-embarrassed-your-state-the-most/417417 "2007-08-29T21:34:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-embarrassed-your-state-the-most/417417/1 "2007-08-29T21:34:14Z")
I’m in Idaho. We all know of Senator Larry Craig’s recently reported restroom incident. We’d had a few other interesting characters in our history to garner national attention (David Butler, Randy Weaver), but I’m hard-pressed to say which of these guys has caused the Gem State the most national embarrassment. Their offenses are egregiously bad on different levels, but they’re bad, nonetheless. So, who has caused your state the most embarassment? The person doesn’t necessarily have to be a politician, though I am sure most of the people to be listed in this thread will hail from political circles. ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-embarrassed-your-state-the-most/417417/2 "2007-08-29T21:41:47Z")
I’m in Texas. Who d’ya think? [Hint: It’s not Bill Moyers or Molly Ivins] ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-embarrassed-your-state-the-most/417417/3 "2007-08-29T21:43:39Z")
Rick Santorum of PA. I’m just happy Specter balances him out somewhat politically. Makes me wish I lived in Hawaii. Ok, that and the winters. And the hula girls… ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-embarrassed-your-state-the-most/417417/4 "2007-08-29T21:44:13Z")
Jimmy Carter, I wasn’t alive during his presidency so I can’t really judge, but he isn’t fondly remembered by most people it seems. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-embarrassed-your-state-the-most/417417/5 "2007-08-29T21:44:40Z")
I’m from California is it possible to nominate cities or does it have to be people cities I could pick, San Fransisco, L.A. (easier then listing the embarasing parts seperatly). As for people jeez where to start. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-embarrassed-your-state-the-most/417417/6 "2007-08-29T21:46:27Z")
President Grant? President Taft? President McKinley? President Harrison? President Harding? That Congressman from the '70s who employed the big blowsy blonde who couldn’t type? Difficult to choose, really. – Uke, Cleveland Native ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-embarrassed-your-state-the-most/417417/7 "2007-08-29T21:47:56Z")
Probably Gary Hart. Or the Boulder Police Department. I would nominate Ted Haggard or James Dobson, but I think they are known more for other things rather than where they lived. ---
**Author:** ![kevja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@kevja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevja)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-embarrassed-your-state-the-most/417417/8 "2007-08-29T21:49:22Z")
[QUOTE=Oredigger77] I’m from California is it possible to nominate cities or does it have to be people cities I could pick, San Fransisco, L.A. (easier then listing the embarasing parts seperatly). As for people jeez where to start. [/QUOTE] What city in California do you live in? ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-embarrassed-your-state-the-most/417417/9 "2007-08-29T21:50:31Z")
[QUOTE=Ukulele Ike] President Grant? President Taft? President McKinley? President Harrison? President Harding? That Congressman from the '70s who employed the big blowsy blonde who couldn’t type? Difficult to choose, really. – Uke, Cleveland Native [/QUOTE] Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-embarrassed-your-state-the-most/417417/10 "2007-08-29T21:51:22Z")
[QUOTE=Ukulele Ike] That Congressman from the '70s who employed the big blowsy blonde who couldn’t type? [/QUOTE] [Rep. Wayne Hays](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_Hays). We had great fun with this story back when we were all 15. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-embarrassed-your-state-the-most/417417/11 "2007-08-29T21:54:06Z")
Evan Mecham, followed closely by Charlie Keating, and that moron J.D. Hayworth. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-embarrassed-your-state-the-most/417417/12 "2007-08-29T21:56:50Z")
Man, having Howard Dean scream loudly pales in comparison. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-embarrassed-your-state-the-most/417417/13 "2007-08-29T21:59:20Z")
[QUOTE=Oredigger77] I’m from California is it possible to nominate cities or does it have to be people cities I could pick, San Fransisco, L.A. (easier then listing the embarasing parts seperatly). As for people jeez where to start. [/QUOTE] Sure, let’s include cities, too, especially since more populous states like California will have a larger pool of nominees to choose from. Can you also tell us which state(s) you are referring to if you do not indicate your locale in your location? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-embarrassed-your-state-the-most/417417/14 "2007-08-29T22:09:32Z")
Byron “Low Tax” Looper > **[Byron Looper](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byron_Looper)** > > Byron (Low Tax) Looper (born Byron Anthony Looper; September 15, 1964 – June 26, 2013) was a Democratic turned Republican politician in Tennessee and convicted murderer. In order to advance his political career, he legally changed his middle name from "Anthony" to "(Low Tax)", including the parentheses. After being convicted for the October 1998 murder of his election opponent, incumbent Tennessee State Senator Tommy Burks, he was given a life sentence in prison. He died in prison in 2013. > Byron... Assassinating one’s poltical rivals is uncouth. ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-embarrassed-your-state-the-most/417417/15 "2007-08-29T22:12:13Z")
Jesse Helms made a career out of embarassing this state. ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-embarrassed-your-state-the-most/417417/16 "2007-08-29T22:18:13Z")
[QUOTE=Harriet the Spry] Jesse Helms made a career out of embarassing this state. [/QUOTE] I second that emotion. ---
**Author:** ![zyzzyva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@zyzzyva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zyzzyva)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-embarrassed-your-state-the-most/417417/17 "2007-08-29T22:19:23Z")
Originally from Florida. So many choices but the collected voters of Broward County c.2000 gotta top the list. Now in my adopted home state of California, again a tough call but the thought of “the Governator” still gives me the shivers. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-embarrassed-your-state-the-most/417417/18 "2007-08-29T22:21:32Z")
I live in Florida. This is a very difficult question to answer: Hanging Chad? Katherine Harris? Anita Bryant? Mark Foley? Jeb Bush? Lots of other “little” people who do stuff that’s embarassing? ---
**Author:** ![Pithy\_Moniker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8dc957/32.png) [@Pithy\_Moniker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pithy_Moniker)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-embarrassed-your-state-the-most/417417/19 "2007-08-29T22:36:57Z")
Ever? Quite possibly George Wallace. Recently? Either Judge Roy Moore or former governor Don Siegelman. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2007, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-embarrassed-your-state-the-most/417417/20 "2007-08-29T22:39:22Z")
[QUOTE=kevja] What city in California do you live in? [/QUOTE] Just north of Santa Barbara 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-has-embarrassed-your-state-the-most/417417.md?page=2)