Dead Celebrity Alert

Among his distinctions, William Proxmire holds the record for most consecutive roll call votes cast by a United States senator — more than 10,000 over a 22-year period.

But the Wisconsin Democrat will be remembered best for his one-man crusade against wasteful government spending. Proxmire criticized spending on military and social programs alike. He created the “Golden Fleece Award” to publicize the worst abuses — for instance, a federally-funded research project on why people fall in love.

He also railed against the runaway costs of political campaigns, accepting no contributions during his final run for the Senate in 1982. William Proxmire talked with Roger Mudd in 1988, on the eve of his retirement after 31 years in the Senate. … Read full obituary

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