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Polybius

(21,508 posts) Wed Dec 31, 2025, 05:18 AM Wednesday

Former US Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, of Colorado, dies at 92

Source: Associated Press

DENVER (AP) — Ben Nighthorse Campbell, the former senator and U.S. representative of Colorado known for his passionate advocacy of Native American issues, died Tuesday. He was 92.

Campbell died of natural causes surrounded by his family, his daughter, Shanan Campbell, confirmed to The Associated Press.

Campbell, a Democrat who stunned his party by joining the Republican Party, stood out in Congress as much for his unconventional dress — cowboy boots, bolo ties and ponytail — as his defense of children’s rights, organized labor and fiscal conservatism.

A member of the Northern Cheyenne tribe, Campbell said his ancestors were among more than 150 Native Americans, mostly women, children and elderly men, killed by U.S. soldiers while camped under a flag of truce on Nov. 29, 1864.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/ben-nighthorse-campbell-dead-congressman-807d6e81f8264da7ae14febb8ee9da7a

12 replies

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Former US Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, of Colorado, dies at 92 (Original Post) Polybius Wednesday OP

"Campbell, a Democrat who stunned his party by joining the Republican Party," BumRushDaShow Wednesday #1

He went with the party of greed and hurting struggling people wolfie001 Wednesday #4

Ironically, a few years later, two Republicans switched Polybius Sunday #9

Specter was one of my Senators here in PA BumRushDaShow Sunday #10

Oh wow, I didn't know that he was a Democrat way back then Polybius Monday #11

Oh, Specter was WELL AWARE of 45 and his misdeeds BumRushDaShow Monday #12

As a former Coloradan, I still sting from his betrayal. Harker Wednesday #2

... 2naSalit Wednesday #3

A voting record any MAGA would support. Trump bronxiteforever Wednesday #5

Thank you for that link. His record was even worse than I remembered. niyad Wednesday #7

Ben Clouds Passing Wednesday #6

Meh. Maybe it'll make some of the dobleremolque Wednesday #8

BumRushDaShow

(165,660 posts)

1. "Campbell, a Democrat who stunned his party by joining the Republican Party,"

Reply to Polybius (Original post)

Wed Dec 31, 2025, 05:35 AM

Wednesday

That was a mess and he did that a few years after AL Senator Richard Shelby switched parties to the GOP after the Gingrich Contract against America.

wolfie001

(7,083 posts)

4. He went with the party of greed and hurting struggling people

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Reply #1)

Wed Dec 31, 2025, 08:40 AM

Wednesday

Sounds like a phony to me.

Polybius

(21,508 posts)

9. Ironically, a few years later, two Republicans switched

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Reply #1)

Sun Jan 4, 2026, 07:47 PM

Sunday

Jim Jeffords in 2001, and Arlen Specter in 2009.

BumRushDaShow

(165,660 posts)

10. Specter was one of my Senators here in PA

Reply to Polybius (Reply #9)

Sun Jan 4, 2026, 07:59 PM

Sunday

and he was actually a Democrat way way back and then when he decided to run for Philly D.A. in the '60s, he ran as a Republican, because he figured he'd have a better chance to win (in a dark blue city)... And after that, he moved on up the ladder and became Senator, as a Republican (but a "liberal" one).

Polybius

(21,508 posts)

11. Oh wow, I didn't know that he was a Democrat way back then

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Reply #10)

Mon Jan 5, 2026, 05:21 AM

Monday

Imagine if he had lived to see this Presidency?

BumRushDaShow

(165,660 posts)

12. Oh, Specter was WELL AWARE of 45 and his misdeeds

Reply to Polybius (Reply #11)

Mon Jan 5, 2026, 06:17 AM

Monday

The story about Donald Trump, Arlen Specter, and the Patriots that set the internet ablaze

Trump in 2008 reportedly told then-U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter “there’d be a lot of money in Palm Beach” if he dropped his push to examine the Patriots' "Spygate" scandal.

by Chris Brennan
Published May 27, 2021, 2:18 p.m. ET

The ESPN story had been online less than 24 hours. Shanin Specter was astonished as the calls and emails were still pouring in Thursday. Hatred of Donald Trump, he surmised, was driving it all. It didn’t help that the New England Patriots were in the mix, too. The gist: Trump in 2008 reportedly told Specter’s father, then-U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, “there’d be a lot of money in Palm Beach” if he dropped his push to examine the NFL’s controversial handling of the Patriots’ 2007 “Spygate” scandal.

Shanin Specter told ESPN and Clout his father informed him in 2008 that Trump was a messenger for Patriots owner Robert Kraft. Arlen Specter died in 2012, four years before Trump was elected president. “If Trump was dead and my father was living this wouldn’t be a story,” Specter said. “I’ve gotten emails from across the country, thanking me for speaking out. I didn’t speak out. A reporter called and asked me some questions.”

Specter still recalls how angry his father was at Trump’s offer. He scoffed at denials by the Patriots and a Trump adviser. “I just never thought it was that big of a deal,” said Specter, cofounder of the powerhouse personal-injury law firm Kline & Specter. “Stuff like this happens in Washington all the time. It wasn’t the only time my father felt someone had crossed the line with him in conversations about his official business and mixing in campaign contributions.”

Still, his father was disappointed in Trump, a friend since the 1980s. And he wondered if the improper videotaping of coaching signals by the Patriots in a New York Jets game also played a role in the Eagles’ Super Bowl loss to the Patriots in 2005.

(snip)

Harker

(17,401 posts)

2. As a former Coloradan, I still sting from his betrayal.

Reply to Polybius (Original post)

Wed Dec 31, 2025, 06:18 AM

Wednesday

2naSalit

(99,979 posts)

3. ...

Reply to Polybius (Original post)

Wed Dec 31, 2025, 06:20 AM

Wednesday

bronxiteforever

(11,080 posts)

5. A voting record any MAGA would support. Trump

Reply to Polybius (Original post)

Wed Dec 31, 2025, 09:07 AM

Wednesday

before Trump.

Rated 83% by the Christian Coalition: a pro-family voting record strongly opposed abortion and access to abortions. Strongly anti lgbtq and supported the defense of marriage act.
Rated 12% by APHA, indicating a anti-public health voting record:
Rated 0% by the ARA, indicating an anti-senior voting record: Strongly favored privatization of Social Security
His Tax policy favored the rich
Voting YES on requiring super-majority for raising taxes:
YES on $792B tax cuts:
YES on $350 billion in tax breaks over 11 years:
His environmental record was bad
Voted YES on defunding renewable and solar energy
Rated 11% by the LCV, indicating anti-environment votes
Ben Nighthorse Campbell was a Libertarian-Leaning Conservative.

https://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/Ben_Nighthorse_Campbell.htm

I do recognize his service in the US Marines in the Korean conflict. His life story is certainly impressive and he overcame incredible personal odds to succeed.
As a US Senator, he made life more difficult for his fellow citizens and the party he personally chose to belong to as shown Native Americans nothing but disdain.