Robert Walter Kasten Jr.(born June 19, 1942) is an AmericanRepublicanpolitician from thestateofWisconsinwho served as aU.S. Representativefrom 1975 to 1979 and as aUnited States Senatorfrom 1981 to 1993.
Bob Kasten | |
|---|---|
 | |
| United States Senator fromWisconsin | |
| In office January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1993 | |
| Preceded by | Gaylord Nelson |
| Succeeded by | Russ Feingold |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromWisconsin's9thdistrict | |
| In office January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1979 | |
| Preceded by | Glenn R. Davis |
| Succeeded by | Jim Sensenbrenner |
| Member of theWisconsin Senate from the4thdistrict | |
| In office January 1, 1973 – January 3, 1975 | |
| Preceded by | Nile Soik |
| Succeeded by | Jim Sensenbrenner |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert Walter Kasten Jr. June 19, 1942 Milwaukee,Wisconsin,U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Eva Jean Nimmons, Sarah Kasten |
| Education | University of Arizona(BA) Columbia University(MBA) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1966-1972 |
| Unit | Wisconsin Air National Guard |
Background
editKasten was born inMilwaukee,Wisconsin.He attended the Milwaukee Country Day School before graduating in 1960 fromThe Choate School(now Choate Rosemary Hall) inWallingford, Connecticut,in 1964 from theUniversity of ArizonainTucson,and received his M.B.A. from theColumbia Business Schoolin 1966. He served in the WisconsinAir National Guardfrom 1966 to 1972.[1]
Elected office
editKasten was elected to theWisconsin State Senatein 1972. In 1974, he was elected to theHouse of Representativesafter defeating incumbentGlenn R. Davisin aRepublicanprimary election. He was reelected in 1976. He ran forGovernorofWisconsinin1978,but lost the Republican nomination toLee S. Dreyfus,who went on to win the general election.
Kasten ran for theUnited States Senatein1980and narrowly defeatedDemocratandincumbentSenatorGaylord Nelson.The victory was propelled in part by the popularity ofRonald Reaganat the top of the Republican ticket. In the Senate, Kasten was an outspokenconservative.He was the first Republican to represent Wisconsin in the U.S. Senate sinceAlexander Wileyleft office in 1963.
In 1985, Kasten was arrested and charged withdriving under the influenceafter aDistrict of Columbiapolice officer observed him running a red light and driving on the wrong side of the road.[2]The DUI charges were later dropped.[3]
In1986,Kasten narrowly defeated DemocratEd Garveyto win a second term after a very bitter campaign, one that was characterized by personal attacks and is remembered as one of the nastiest elections in Wisconsin history.[4]Kasten was defeated by Democratic state SenatorRuss Feingoldin 1992.
Kasten voted in favor of thebillestablishingMartin Luther King Jr. Dayas afederal holidayand theCivil Rights Restoration Act of 1987(as well as to overridePresident Reagan's veto).[5][6][7]Kasten voted in favor of the nominations ofRobert BorkandClarence Thomasto theU.S. Supreme Court.
After the Senate
editSince 1993, he has been President of Kasten & Company, a consulting firm. In July 2007, Kasten joined the presidential campaign of RepublicanRudy Giulianias a foreign policy adviser.[8]He chaired Giuliani's Wisconsin campaign, along with former U.S. RepresentativeScott Klugand former State SenatorCathy Stepp.[9]
After Giuliani dropped out, Kasten endorsed his close friend and former Senate colleagueJohn McCain.[10]In April 2016, Kasten endorsed Republican frontrunnerDonald Trumpforpresidentin2016,becoming part of Trump'sforeign policyadvisory team.[11]
Electoral history
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Russ Feingold | 1,290,662 | 52.6 | ||
| Republican | Bob Kasten (incumbent) | 1,129,599 | 46.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bob Kasten (incumbent) | 754,573 | 50.9 | ||
| Democratic | Ed Garvey | 702,963 | 47.4 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bob Kasten | 1,106,311 | 50.2 | ||
| Democratic | Gaylord Nelson(incumbent) | 1,065,487 | 48.3 | ||
Cultural references
editWriterMike Baronnamed a recurring character in his Wisconsin-basedcomic bookBadgerafter Kasten, then Wisconsin'sjunior senator.The character, apeg-legged,vampire-huntingpignamed "Senator Bob Kasten", made several appearances in the series.[12][better source needed]A student political party on the University of Wisconsin Madison campus satirically named themselves the "Bob Kasten School of Driving" (a reference to his DUI arrest); it won the campus-wide elections in 1986 and 1987.[13]
References
edit- ^'Wisconsin Blue Book 1991-1992,' Biographical Sketch of Robert W. Kasten, pg. 11
- ^"Sen. Kasten Accused of Driving While Drunk".Los Angeles Times.December 14, 1985.RetrievedNovember 19,2016.
- ^"Indictments--A Grand Congressional Tradition Since 1798".Los Angeles Times.5 June 1994.Retrieved4 August2024.
- ^Raymond Coffey (October 31, 1986)."Wisconsin Race Hits Low Road".Chicago Tribune.RetrievedNovember 19,2016.
- ^"To Pass H.R. 3706. (Motion Passed) See Note(s) 19".
- ^"To Pass S 557, Civil Rights Restoration Act, a Bill to Restore the Broad Coverage and Clarify Four Civil Rights Laws by Providing that If One Part of An Institution Is Federally Funded, Then the Entire Institution Must Not Discriminate".
- ^"To Adopt, Over the President's Veto of S 557, Civil Rights Restoration Act, a Bill to Restore Broad Coverage of Four Civil Rights Laws by Declaring that If One Part of An Institution Receives Federal Funds, Then the Entire Institution Must Not Discriminate. Two-Thirds of The Senate, Having Voted in The Affirmative, Overrode the Presidential Veto".
- ^Craig Gilbert; Katherine M. Skiba; Audrey Hoffe (July 21, 2007)."Former Wisconsin senator joins Giuliani's team".Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.Archived fromthe originalon September 29, 2007.RetrievedNovember 19,2016.
- ^"Regional News Briefs".Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.August 30, 2007. Archived fromthe originalon June 25, 2016.RetrievedNovember 19,2016.
- ^"Former Wisconsin Senator Bob Kasten Endorses John McCain".
- ^Gilbert, Craig (February 13, 2008)."Former GOP Sen. Bob Kasten joins Trump foreign policy team".blog.4president.org.RetrievedNovember 19,2016.
- ^"Senator Bob Kasten".Internationalhero.co.uk.RetrievedNovember 19,2016.
- ^"Ex-UW Student Prez up for 'Annie'".The Capital Times,January 24, 2005.