10 Greatest Senators of all time (in honor of Ted Kennedy)

In the wake of Senator Kennedy's death Many have called him the greatest senator of our time, some has even gone as far as to call him the greatest senator in US History; while I would not go that far he is on the short list. Here are my personal top 10:

1. Daniel Webster (Whig-MA) - Without Daniel Webster this nation would not exist today. It's that simple. The Nullification Crisis would have split this country into at least 2 had he not had the famous debate with Haynes. He was the Great Compromiser that kept this nation together in the precivil war era. Though Clay may have been the Idea man Webster rallied the support and saved the country. The only reason the US economy stayed afloat in the 19th century was because of the American System, Clay's Idea But it would have gone nowhere without the support of Webster. The only reason infrastructure developed in America is because of Webster. It is amazing that he never became president. Webster assured that this nation would remain "Liberty and Union, now and for ever, one and inseparable!" and for that he is the greatest senator in the history of this nation.

2. Henry Clay (Whig-KY)- Clay was the greatest thinker in the history of the US Senate. He was the main Antislavery voice in the senate in the run up to the civil war, and the compromises that kept this country together until the civil war could not have been reached without clay. He helped save the country during the nullification crisis and was to some extent the only reason Webster could be as great as he was. He also kept Kentucky from succeeding. The only reason he is not number one is the fact that the war of 1812 would not have happened without clay. even though he was speaker of the house at the time that still subtracts from his senate legacy. He was still an amazing leader.

3. Robert "Fighting Bob" LaFollet (Republican/Progressive-WI)- Had he come at the same time as Webster and Clay Perhaps he would be number one but he was about 70 years too late. the only reason women have the vote is because of LaFollet. He fought corruption from the bottom to the top and was on the extreme opposition of World War I. He opposed the prosecution of Eugene Debbs (Arguably the greatest congressmen ever). Tea Pot Dome, The scandal that ruined Harding, would not have been broken if not for him. He supported Social Security 25 years before American even knew what it was. Had we listened to him there may have been no great depression. He started the progressive party which later merged with the democrats in a sense. If it weren't for the civil war he would be number one easily.

4. Ted Kennedy (Democrat-MA) - Any one who has taken any interest in politics in the last 40 years knows who Ted Kennedy is. The Civil Rights acts of 1964, 1965 and 1968 were all crusades by Teddy. There would be no Medicare, Medicaid or SCHIP if not for Teddy. 18-20 Year olds wouldn't be allowed to vote without Teddy. Teddy helped the great society a great deal (this includes such things as the War on Poverty and the National Endowment for the Arts). The only reason we are on the brink of getting Universal health care is Teddy. "The Work goes on, The cause endures, the Hope still lives and the dream will Never Die" . When I get into politics, and hopefully become a senator, I aspire to be like Ted Kennedy was. I don't think I can come up with a better obituary.

5. Robert Wagner (Democrat-NY)- FDR's Right Hand Man in the senate During the most critical time in the history of the world, He helped save the US Economy in the 1930's. He tried to save many Jews from the Nazi's in 1939, but it was rejected because we were not yet at war with the Germans. He was a big Friend of Labor, and really helped save the US During The Depression and WWII.

6. Robert Kennedy (Democrat-NY)- Probably the greatest Ideological thinker this country has ever seen. Arguably the greatest politician in all of American History, among the greatest leaders the world has ever seen. The only reason he isn't number one here is because many of his greatest accomplishments were as Attorney General and Chief advisor to his older brother (JFK if you can't put 2 and 2 together). As AG He saved the world from Nuclear war, Cracked down on organized crime, and made the civil rights movement a major part of the national agenda, but i can't count any of that because he was AG and not a Senator. As a Senator he created the war on poverty, Helped the civil rights movement, was the first senator to admit his mistake in Vietnam, put alot of money towards 3rd world aid, and was a major proponent of the Great Society (which included many good things including a start towards universal Health Care, The war on poverty, Public Transportation and Funding for the arts. He is the greatest politician I can think of but not the greatest senator.

7. Stephan Douglass (Democrat-IL)- I know what most of you are thinking: "Stephan Douglass WTF?" but history often teaches us wrong about him. Yes he was a little bit corrupt, and yes he opposed Lincoln but he was NOT pro slavery by any means. He took the middle way. He was morally opposed to slavery but wanted to gradually phase it out to keep the crazys from succeeding. Funny story about that. If it weren't for his work in the senate the country couldn't have held on long enough for Lincoln to save our asses. The country wouldn't exist if it weren't for Douglass and I am going to say something bold: Douglass could have been a better president than Lincoln. I think he could have prevented the civil war while phasing out slavery by the late 1800's, and prevented the Jim Crow Laws and KKK Spring ups that happened because of Andrew Johnson's Shitty Reconstruction policies. He is controversial, but I think he was good. He was proud to hold Lincoln's hat as he was inaugurated and you can not deny that he Kept our country united after the days of Webster and Clay, and for that he makes the list.

8. Robert Taft (Republican-OH) -I completely disagree with the Ideology of Taft. He was completely wrong when it came to things like The new deal (Which he was a major opponent of) and Labor (where he, lets be honest, screwed workers worse than wallmart) but there are a few things I do admire him for. He only opposed the Keynsian part of the new deal. He supported things that directly helped the poor like Social Security and Public Housing, he was also a major leader in getting the GOP behind WWII. The one thing that I admire him most for is his stance on the Nuremberg Trials. The moral question is "Should people be punished for following orders?". I honestly don't know where I stand on that. Part of me says no but the other part answers back that these were the among worst orders ever given on the face of the earth (The Holocaust in case you don't know what Nuremberg was). He boldly answered no. He opposed the Nuremberg trials and weather or not you agree with him you have to admire him for taking that moral stance no matter how unpopular it was at the time. although I disagreed with him gravely he was an honorable and respectable senator.

9. John Quincy Adams (Federalist/Whig-MA)- as a president he sucked, but as a senator he committed the first real act of party defiance that shaped the future of the US Senate. He changed parties. It took so much balls to do that and it proved that senators were independent of the letter on their name. for that he makes the list.

10. Arthur Vandenburg (Republican-MI)- He was a conservative whack job until 1940 when he was the first GOP Senator to Support FDR's Foreign policy. If not for him there would have been no unity During WWII.

Honorable Mentions
Sam Houston (Independent-TN and TX)
Lincoln Chafee (R-RI)
Lyndon Johnson (D-TX)
Mike Mansfield (D-MT)

Two Notes
1860 Election- History forgets that the bad guy was not Stephan Douglass it was John Breckenridge. Douglass wanted to preserve the union, Breckenridge wanted to exploit Black people. Douglass was an Honorable man with at least respectable views, Breckenridge was a Douche that hated all black people more than anyone. People often mistake Douglass' Ideals for Breckenridges.

John Calhoun- He is often Cited as one of the great senators of all time, but he had some elements of craziness. He was one of the Great Compromisers along with Webster and Clay, but he was the one on the side of Slavery and He was a major Hawk During the war of 1812 so I decided to leave him off. None the less the Country would not have survived with out him and his compromises. He was still one of the Great Triumptive, and helped save the country, but he was the one on the darkside. So I left him off.