Sen. Mark Hatfield's Political Legacy

Former U.S. Sen. Mark Hatfield (R-Ore.) died Sunday at age 89. According to The Associated Press, he had suffered ill health for several years and died in a care facility . The five-term senator was the longest-serving in Oregon history. From 1959 to 1967, Hatfield was governor of Oregon following a successful career in the state legislature.

What political legacy does Hatfield leave behind?

* Hatfield knew the realities of war, having participated in the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa and witnessing the after effects of the bombing in Hiroshima. He also served in Haipong assisting the French. Hatfield's experiences shaped him into a strong opponent of war; he developed a reputation as "the conscience of the Senate" and was nicknamed "St. Mark." Hatfield's stance on the military is best expressed with his own words:

"Every president other than Eisenhower has been seduced by the military concept that it is our sole measurement of our national security and the more bombs we build the more secure we are. That's just not true. We are vulnerable today, and we are vulnerable in many ways we are not addressing- the needs of education, the needs of housing, the needs of nutrition, the needs of health, the needs of infrastructure."

* Hatfield was instrumental in getting a ban on nuclear weapons testing passed in 1987.

* Convinced of the immorality of the death penalty, Hatfield spoke forcefully against it, even proposing public executions to force people to face the reality of putting people to death.

* Known for speaking on behalf of the powerless, Hatfield advocated for refugees, favored Native American tribal rights, and supported domestic social services programs to address the "desperate human needs in our midst," according to Willamette University.

* In Oregon, Hatfield was admired for his ability to bring home funds to support hospitals, universities, and public works projects, though observers outside Oregon might consider some of that spending pork.

* In the latter years of his Senate career, Hatfield's otherwise stellar reputation was sullied by two ethics scandals. One involved his wife's work for a businessman with contracts pending before Congress, the other failure to disclose gifts from friends and lobbyists, which he attributed to a clerical error, reports The Washington Post.

* When he opposed a balanced budget amendment as a matter of conscience, Hatfield's 1995 vote caused the amendment to fail.

* Hatfield worked tirelessly for medical research funding, saying it wasn't the Russians who are coming but viruses. He supported increased funding for both Oregon and national research facilities. He was particularly passionate in describing on the Senate floor the need to fund Alzheimer's research, giving examples of how the disease devastated his own father.