Ernest Hollings

From Conservapedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Fritz Hollings
Hollings.jpg
Former U.S. Senator from South Carolina
From: November 9, 1966 – January 3, 2005
Predecessor Donald Russell
Successor Jim DeMint
Former Governor of South Carolina
From: January 20, 1959 – January 15, 1963
Lieutenant Burnet R. Maybank, Jr.
Predecessor George Timmerman
Successor Donald Russell
Former Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina
From: January 18, 1955 – January 20, 1959
Governor George Timmerman
Predecessor George Timmerman
Successor Burnet R. Maybank, Jr.
Information
Party Democrat
Spouse(s) Martha Salley (div.)
Rita Lidy (died 2012)
Religion Lutheran
Military Service
Allegiance United States
Service/branch United States Army
Service Years 1942–1945
Rank Captain
Battles/wars World War II

Ernest Frederick “Fritz” Hollings (January 1, 1922 – April 6, 2019) was a United States Senator from South Carolina between 1966 and 2005. He was a member of the Democratic Party.

Early life and career

Hollings was born in Charleston, South Carolina. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from The Citadel in 1942. Following his graduation, he served as an artillery officer in the U.S. Army during World War II. After the war, Hollings earned a law degree from the University of South Carolina in 1947.

Political career

Hollings' political career began when he was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives in 1948. He later served as the state's lieutenant governor (1954–1958) and governor (1959–1963). Hollings was elected to the United States Senate following the 1965 death of racist New Dealer Olin Johnston, where he served until retiring in 2005. He was initially a staunch segregationist who denounced the NAACP as "against our way of life in the South,"[1] though later became more supportive of civil rights.

Hollings criticized the Bush Administration over the Iraq War in 2004 when he said:

"Israel long since would have taken us to the weapons of mass destruction if there were any or if they had been removed. With Iraq no threat, why invade a sovereign country? The answer: President Bush's policy to secure Israel.

"Led by Wolfowitz, Richard Perle and Charles Krauthammer, for years there has been a domino school of thought that the way to guarantee Israel's security is to spread democracy in the area. [2]

Abraham H. Foxman, National Director of the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith responded to Sen. Hollings remarks publicly by stating,

"when the debate veers into anti-Jewish stereotyping, it is tantamount to scapegoating and an appeal to ethnic hatred...Regardless of whether one feels that America's war on Iraq was justified, the charge that it is being fought by the U.S. on behalf of Israel grossly misrepresents the legitimate U.S. interests that are involved in the debate." [3]

Interestingly enough, this was not the first time Hollings had been accused of anti-Semitism. He had once called Howard Metzenbaum "the Senator from B'Nai B'rith on the floor."[4] Hollings had been criticized by the open-source community due to his strict legislative activity with regard to copyright law (and alleged financial ties to Disney).[5]

Some leftists who promote the party switch myth try to paint Hollings, among a number of Southern Democrats, as having been "conservative". While he was fiscally conservative, Hollings was a moderate liberal/progressive on social issues.[6][7]

Legacy

In June 2019, Hollings was among the Southern segregationists praised by Joe Biden.[8]

See also

References

  1. McLaughlin, Dan (June 19, 2019). Joe Biden’s Segregationist Problem. National Review. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  2. Bush's failed Mideast policy is creating more terrorism, U.S. Senator Ernest F. Hollings, Charleston Post and Courier, 6 May 2004.
  3. Anti-Semitism: USA, ADL Urges Senator Hollings to Disavow Statements on Jews and the Iraq War, ADL Press Release, New York, 14 May 2004.
  4. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/811459/posts
  5. http://www.linux.com/archive/feature/17027
  6. McFadden, Robert D. (April 6, 2019). Ernest Hollings, 97, a South Carolina Senator Who Evolved, Is Dead. The New York Times. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  7. Schram, Martin (January 5, 1983). The 'Other Fritz' In the Running For 1984 After A Shaky Star. The Washington Post. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  8. Alic, Haris (October 21, 2020). 10 Examples of Joe Biden’s History of Racially Charged Conduct and Comments. Breitbart News. Retrieved May 22, 2021.

External links

  • Profile at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
  • Biography at South Carolina Encyclopedia