David Bonior
David Edward Bonior | |
---|---|
23rd United States House of Representatives Majority Whip | |
In office January 3, 1991 – January 3, 1995 | |
Preceded by | William H. Gray III |
Succeeded by | Tom DeLay |
17th United States House of Representatives Minority Whip | |
In office January 3, 1995 – 2002 | |
Preceded by | Newt Gingrich |
Succeeded by | Nancy Pelosi |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's 12th district | |
In office January 3, 1977 – January 3, 1993 | |
Preceded by | James G. O'Hara |
Succeeded by | Sander Levin |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's 10th district | |
In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2003 | |
Preceded by | Dave Camp |
Succeeded by | Candice Miller |
Personal details | |
Born | Detroit, Michigan | June 6, 1945
Political party | Democrat |
David Edward Bonior (born June 6, 1945) is an American politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. He served for 26 years in the U.S. House of Representatives. Bonior served as Democratic whip in the House, the second-ranking position among House Democrats, from 1991 to 2002.
Early life
Bonior was born in Detroit, Michigan, and graduated from Notre Dame High School in Harper Woods, Michigan, in 1963 where he excelled in sports. He received a B.A. from the University of Iowa, where he also played football and was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, in 1967. He received a M.A. from Chapman College in Orange, California in 1972. He served in the United States Air Force during the peak of the Vietnam War, from 1968 to 1972. However, he did not serve in Vietnam.
Political career
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/DavidEBonior.jpg/220px-DavidEBonior.jpg)
Bonior was a Democratic member of the Michigan State House of Representatives from 1973 to 1976. In 1976, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's 12th District (based in Macomb County) for the 95th and to the twelve succeeding Congresses, serving from January 3, 1977 to January 3, 2003. His district was renumbered as the 10th in 1993, after Michigan lost a House seat as a result of the 1990 United States Census.
From 1991 to 2002, Bonior was the House Democratic Whip. He served as Majority Whip in the 102nd and 103rd Congresses. He was Minority Whip for the 104th through 107th Congresses. While the Democrats were in the majority, Bonior was the third-ranking Democrat in the House, behind the Speaker and House Majority Leader. While they were in the minority, Bonior was second-in-command behind the Minority Leader.
An indictment unsealed in Detroit on March 26, 2008 accused Muthanna Al-Hanooti, a member of a Michigan nonprofit group, of arranging for three members of Congress to travel to Iraq in October 2002 at the behest of Saddam's regime, paid for by Iraqi intelligence officials.[1] The dates from the indictment correspond to a trip by Democratic Reps. Jim McDermott of Washington, David Bonior of Michigan and Mike Thompson of California. During the trip, the lawmakers expressed skepticism about the Bush administration's claims that Saddam was stockpiling weapons of mass destruction.
In Congress, Bonior generally had a liberal voting record, but opposed abortion in most cases.[2]
During the 2000s round of redistricting, the Republican-controlled state legislature crafted a map designed to elect more Republicans from Michigan's congressional delegation. In the process, they made Bonior's district considerably more rural and Republican than its predecessor. It was an open secret that the new 10th had been drawn for popular Michigan Secretary of State Candice Miller. While the old 10th narrowly voted for George W. Bush in 2000, the new 10th would have voted for Bush by a large margin. The legislature also drew Bonior's home in Mount Clemens out of the 10th, shifting it to the nearby 12th District of Sandy Levin, a fellow Democrat and longtime friend of Bonior's. In either case, Bonior faced the prospect of running in territory that he didn't know and that didn't know him. He stepped down as House Democratic Whip in early 2002 and opted not to run for a 14th term, instead running for Governor of Michigan. However, he lost in the Democratic primary to Attorney General Jennifer Granholm.
Current career
Bonior is currently chair of American Rights at Work. On December 28, 2006, former U.S. Senator John Edwards announced his candidacy for the 2008 presidential election and appointed Bonior as his campaign manager.[1]
References
- ^ Niraj Warikoo, "Metro Iraqi is charged in spy case" Detroit Free Press March 27, 2008, p. 1A. "An indictment unsealed Wednesday in Detroit says he was an agent for Saddam Hussein's government who was paid money and oil to manipulate U.S. public and elected officials, including former U.S. Rep. David Bonior, D-Mt. Clemens."
- ^ Sometimes it helps to get outraged: David Bonior is passionate about issues. That's one of the reasons he visited Iraq. Now he's on the receiving end of a lot of anger - Cover Story | National Catholic Reporter | Find Articles at BNET.com