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Robert Linligthgow Livingston, Jr., better known as Bob Livingston, (born April 30, 1943) is a Washington, D.C.-based lobbyist and a former Republican congressman from Louisiana. He is best known for being chosen as Newt Gingrich's successor as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives late in 1998, only to resign in the wake of his own sex scandal as what he said was an example to then President Bill Clinton. Livingston left public service, but Clinton finished the remaining 25 months of his second term.
Livingston was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, but spent most of his youth in New Orleans. He graduated from St. Martin's High School in New Orleans in 1960. He graduated from Tulane University in 1968, his education having been interrupted by a stint in the United States Navy. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from Tulane in 1970.
Out of college, he joined the law practice of David C. Treen, who would become Louisiana's first Republican congressman and governor since Reconstruction. Treen had been an active Republican back in the days when the party barely existed in Louisiana, and this connection allowed Livingston to make valuable contacts in Republican circles. He was a delegate to all Republican conventions between 1976 and 2000. Livingston later worked for the U. S. attorney for Louisiana's Eastern District, the Orleans Parish (New Orleans) district attorney's office and the Louisiana state attorney general.
Career in Congress
While Livingston was serving as head of the state attorney general's organized crime unit in 1976, he won the Republican nomination for Louisiana's 1st Congressional District, based in the wealthy New Orleans suburbs and including a small part of the city itself. The seat had opened up when 36-year incumbent Democrat and former House Armed Services Committee chairman F. Edward Hébert retired. Livingston narrowly lost to one-term state legislator Richard Tonry. Livingston was only denied victory by the third-party candidacy of former 6th District Congressman John Rarick, who ran in the race even though he didn't live in the district. Rarick, who had been one of the most conservative Democrats in Congress during his tenure, siphoned off enough votes from Livingston to allow Tonry to win.
However, allegations surfaced of "tombstone" votes for Tonry in both the primary and general elections. Tonry was forced to resign in May 1977 and lost the Democratic nomination for the special election in August. Livingston won a three-way race to become the first Republican to represent New Orleans since Reconstruction.* He won a full term with 86 percent of the vote in 1978 and was reelected ten times, the last nine of those unopposed.
Although very well-known in Louisiana, Livingston was a relatively low-key congressman for his first 18 years in Washington. However, he managed early in his career to land a spot on the Appropriations Committee, which allowed him to steer millions of dollars to his district. This, along with his very conservative stances on almost all issues, made him very popular with his constituents, most of whom had never been represented by a Republican before. He also received many contributions from defense contractors.
Livingston ran for governor in 1987 but finished a distant third, ten points short of gaining a berth in the runoff. He endorsed his House colleague Charles E. "Buddy" Roemer, III, then a Democrat, after the primary, but the runoff election was cancelled after Roemer's opponent, Governor Edwin Edwards, conceded the race to Roemer. It was said that then Governor Edwards wanted to face Livingston in a general election, and when that did not happen, Edwards pulled out of the second round of balloting to prevent Roemer from consolidating majority support.
Despite his showing in the gubernatorial race, Livingston remained highly popular in his district and went on to win easy re-elections as he moved up the leadership ladder in the House.
Chairman, House Appropriations Committee
Livingston first came to national attention in 1995, when he was named chairman of the Appropriations Committee after the Republican takeover of the House. This instantly made him one of the most powerful members of Congress. During one committee session, he brandished a machete to demonstrate his seriousness as a budget-cutter.
During the Monica Lewinsky scandals, Livingston was one of many Republicans who demanded Clinton's resignation, and later impeachment, for perjury. After Newt Gingrich resigned as Speaker in part because of Republican losses in the 1998 elections, Livingston announced that he was not only running for Speaker but had lined up enough support to win. He was nominated as the Republican candidate for Speaker without opposition. As the Republicans had narrowly retained their majority, this effectively made him Speaker-elect.
Resignation
Although the Republicans claimed Clinton deserved impeachment because he lied about his sexual indiscretions, many Democrats felt the indiscretions themselves were the main issue. In response, Hustler Magazine publisher Larry Flynt, a staunch Democrat, placed an article in his magazine offering up to $1,000,000 for information on sexual indiscretions by Republican officials. Flynt received evidence that Livingston had strayed outside of his marriage on many occasions, and was preparing to publish this information. Livingston got word that the article was about to come out. During debate over the impeachment resolution on December 19, 1998, Livingston surprised everyone by stepping down as Speaker-elect and announced he would resign from the House in May 1999. He was succeeded by David Vitter, who later went on to become the first popularly elected Republican Senator from Louisiana.
Subsequent career
Soon after retiring from public life he founded The Livingston Group, one of the most influential lobbying groups in the capital.
In 2003, Livingston was inducted into the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame in Winnfield.
References
Billy Hathorn, "The Republican Party in Louisiana, 1920-1980," Master's thesis (1980), Northwestern State University at Natchitoches
1943 births | Living people | Lobbyists | Louisiana politicians | Members of the United States House of Representatives from Louisiana | Louisiana Republicans
"Bob Livingston"