Editing Howard Metzenbaum (section)

==Political career==

===Ohio legislature===
Metzenbaum served in the [[Ohio House of Representatives]] from 1943 to 1947. He then served in the [[Ohio Senate]] from 1947 to 1951.<ref name=Case/>

In 1958, he served as the campaign manager for future U.S.&nbsp;Senator [[Stephen M. Young]], who, in a major upset, narrowly unseated incumbent Senator [[John Bricker]], the Republican Party's 1944 vice presidential nominee. He returned to assist Young in his successful reelection campaign in 1964.<ref name=Case/>

===U.S. Senate===
[[File:John Glenn Low Res.jpg|thumb|upright|John Glenn, former rival and later ally to Metzenbaum]]
In 1970, Metzenbaum ran for the Senate seat vacated by Young, who chose not to run for a third term. He beat [[astronaut]] [[John Glenn]] in the Democratic primary by a close 46%-45% margin, but narrowly lost to [[Robert Taft&nbsp;Jr.]] in the [[1970 United States Senate election in Ohio|general election]].

In [[1974 United States Senate election in Ohio|1974]], when Senator [[William B. Saxbe]] ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]]-OH) resigned from his seat to accept the nomination as [[U.S.&nbsp;attorney general]], [[Governor of Ohio|Governor]] [[John J. Gilligan]] appointed Metzenbaum to serve the remainder of Saxbe's term. Metzenbaum ran for election to the seat, but in a bitter Democratic primary, lost to Glenn, who subsequently won the general election by a landslide. In the primary, Metzenbaum contrasted his strong business background with Glenn's military and astronaut credentials, saying his opponent had "never worked for a living." [[John Glenn]] had served in the Marine Corps for 23 years. Glenn's reply came to be known as the "Gold Star Mothers" speech. He told Metzenbaum to go to a veterans' hospital and "look those men with mangled bodies in the eyes and tell them they didn't hold a job. You go with me to any Gold Star mother and you look her in the eye and tell her that her son did not hold a job". Many felt the "Gold Star Mothers" speech won the primary for Glenn, which he won by 54% to 46%.<ref name="latimes" />

In 1976, Metzenbaum sought a rematch against Taft. The race was close again, but this time he won, riding on [[Jimmy Carter]]'s coattails. Taft resigned the seat a few days before his term ended, allowing Metzenbaum to be sworn in a few days early and hence have a small edge in seniority over other senators newly elected in 1976. He was reelected in 1982, comfortably defeating Republican state Senator [[Paul Pfeifer]]. That same year, Metzenbaum's cousin, [[Harriett Woods]], ran against Metzenbaum's Republican colleague, [[John Danforth]], for Danforth's U.S. Senate seat in Missouri.<ref>{{cite news|last=Bumiller |first=Elisabeth |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1982/10/15/senate-showdown-in-the-show-me-state/d29dfc5c-e13c-4299-9e14-8c89dd6ac648/ |title=Senate Showdown In the Show-Me State |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=October 15, 1982 |accessdate=December 28, 2021}}</ref> Danforth defeated Woods by a margin of less than two percentage points.

In 1981 Metzenbaum was insulted on the floor of the Senate when Senator [[Ernest Hollings]] of [[South Carolina]] called him the "senator from [[B'nai B'rith]]".<ref name=Shanahan>{{cite news|last=Shanahan|first=Mike|title=Prayer Issue Sparks Fiery Senate Debate|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1734&dat=19811114&id=WIEgAAAAIBAJ&pg=4386,5306629|access-date=May 6, 2013|newspaper=The Dispatch (Lexington, NC)|date=November 14, 1981}}</ref> Some interpreted this as a slur on Metzenbaum's Jewish faith.<ref name=Shanahan/> Hollings later apologized to Metzenbaum and the remarks were stricken from the record.<ref>{{cite news|title=Hollings issues apology| url=http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/1998/10/16/met_242041.shtml|agency=Associated Press|publisher=The Augusta Chronicle|access-date=May 6, 2013|date=October 16, 1998}}</ref>

On December 2, 1981, Metzenbaum was one of four senators to vote against<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/12/03/The-90-4-vote-by-which-the-Senate-approved-the/2840376203600/|title=The 90-4 vote by which the Senate approved the...|date=December 3, 1981|publisher=UPI}}</ref> an amendment to President Reagan's MX missiles proposal that would divert the silo system by $334 million as well as earmark further research for other methods that would allow giant missiles to be based. The vote was seen as a rebuff of the Reagan administration.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/12/03/us/senators-reject-plan-for-placing-mx-missile-in-silos.html|title=SENATORS REJECT PLAN FOR PLACING MX MISSILE IN SILOS|first=Steven V.|last=Roberts|date=December 3, 1981|work=New York Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1981/1204/120455.html|title=Reagan scorns Senate rejection of silo-based MX missile plan|first=Stephen|last=Webbe|publisher=The Christian Science Monitor|date=December 4, 1981}}</ref>

In the late&nbsp;1970s and early&nbsp;1980s, Glenn and Metzenbaum had strained relations. There was a thaw in 1983 when Metzenbaum endorsed Glenn for president.

In 1988 Metzenbaum was opposed by [[Mayor of Cleveland|Cleveland mayor]] [[George Voinovich]]. Voinovich accused Metzenbaum of being soft on [[child pornography]].<ref name=Clements>{{cite news|last=Clements|first=Chase|title=TV ad on child-porn legislation stirs up U.S. Senate race in Ohio|url=http://newnbsp;1980s,|access-date=May 6, 2013|newspaper=Toledo Blade|date=September 8, 1988}}{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref name=Miller>{{cite news|last=Miller|first=Robert E.|title=Metzenbaum Far Ahead Of Challenging Cleveland Mayor|url=https://apnews.com/a8f2cd0012d55c3972c515c731cc9db7|access-date=May 6, 2013|newspaper=Associated Press|date=October 20, 1988}}</ref> Voinovich's charges were criticized by many, including Glenn, who recorded a statement for television refuting Voinovich's charges.<ref name=CSMonitor>{{cite news|title=In Ohio's Senate race, the low road crosses the campaign trail. Negative TV ads roil Metzenbaum-Voinovich race but fail to stir voters|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/1988/1006/asleez.html/(page)/2|access-date=May 6, 2013|newspaper=The Christian Science Monitor|date=October 6, 1988}}</ref> Metzenbaum won the election by 57% to 43%, even as [[George H.&nbsp;W. Bush]] won Ohio's electoral votes by roughly 11&nbsp;percentage points.<ref name=Hallett>{{cite news|last=Hallett|first=Joe|title=Metzenbaum scores a big victory over Voinovich|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19881109&id=ikRPAAAAIBAJ&pg=6514,2512317|access-date=May 6, 2013|newspaper=Toledo Blade|date=November 9, 1988}}</ref> Ten years later, Voinovich [[United States Senate election in Ohio, 1998|was elected]] to Glenn's U.S. Senate seat after Glenn's retirement.

===Issues===
Metzenbaum did not run for reelection in 1994. His son-in-law [[Joel Hyatt]] was nominated by the Democrats to replace him, but Hyatt lost to [[lieutenant governor of Ohio|Lieutenant Governor]] [[Mike DeWine]], who had been elected as Voinovich's running mate in 1990.

While in the Senate, Metzenbaum was a powerful [[American liberalism|liberal]]. He was known as "Senator&nbsp;No" (a nickname shared by Republican [[Jesse Helms]] of [[North Carolina]]) and "Headline Howard" and a "headline hog"<ref name="latimes">{{Cite news | title = Howard M. Metzenbaum, 1917-2008: Ohio Senator was a champion of labor and master of rules | newspaper = Los Angeles Times | pages = B9 | date = March 13, 2008 | url = https://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-metzenbaum13mar13,0,7830134.story }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Sullivan|first1=Patricia|title=Ohio Sen. Howard M. Metzenbaum, 90; Fought Special-Interest Bills, Tax Breaks|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/12/AR2008031204487.html|access-date=October 14, 2014|newspaper=Washington Post|date=March 14, 2008}}</ref><ref name=Sullivan>{{cite news |title=Ohio Sen. Howard M. Metzenbaum, 90; Fought Special-Interest Bills, Tax Breaks |author=Sullivan, Patricia |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/12/AR2008031204487.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130630140407/http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2008-03-14/politics/36818156_1_universal-health-care-senate-nutrition-labels |url-status=live |archive-date=June 30, 2013 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=March 14, 2008 |access-date=May 10, 2013}}</ref> due to his ability to [[filibuster]] bills by offering scores of amendments as well as blocking hidden [[Advocacy group|special-interest]] legislation.<ref name=Sullivan/> Metzenbaum took a particular interest in [[antitrust]] and [[consumer protection]] issues, often threatening to repeal the [[Toolson v. New York Yankees#Baseball antitrust exemption|antitrust law exemption]] given to [[Major League Baseball]]. Since his retirement, the issue has gone largely unaddressed. Metzenbaum became well known for his service on the [[United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary|Senate Judiciary Committee]], particularly because of his efforts to keep stringent antitrust laws and his pro-choice stance on [[abortion debate|abortion]].

Metzenbaum was skeptical of corporations and agencies promoting [[aspartame]]. An allegation was that the [[G.&nbsp;D.&nbsp;Searle&nbsp;& Company]] was trying to bring aspartame to market and get it approved by the U.S.&nbsp;[[Food and Drug Administration]]&nbsp;(FDA) by submitting false data. Metzenbaum berated Searle's fabricated tests and also faulted the [[American Medical Association]]&nbsp;(AMA), whose ''[[Journal of the American Medical Association]]''&nbsp;(JAMA) reported, with some significant disclaimers, that aspartame was safe for most people. Of the report, Metzenbaum said, "I wish that this [JAMA] report could ease my concerns. It does not. It merely restates the FDA position, which relies solely on the Searle tests. As I have indicated these tests are under a cloud. In addition, the concerns raised recently by the scientists...were not even included in the report." In 1985, the U.S.&nbsp;Senate heard testimony relating to an amendment by Metzenbaum that would require the quantity of aspartame in a product to be labeled.