Former Utah Sen. Bob Bennett dies at 82

Former Sen. Bob Bennett of Utah died Wednesday after suffering a stroke and battling pancreatic cancer. He was 82.

Bennett, a Republican, was born Sept. 19, 1933, in Salt Lake City. His father, Wallace F. Bennett, was also a senator, serving from 1951 to 1977, and for a time, his son was his top aide. Before he was first elected to the Senate in 1992, Bennett worked as a lobbyist for J.C. Penney Co., was a congressional liaison for the Transportation Department during the Nixon administration, and purchased Robert R. Mullen Co., a public relations firm and CIA cover organization, the Salt Lake Tribune reports. One of his most famous clients was the reclusive tycoon Howard Hughes.

Bennett was known for working with both Republicans and Democrats to get things done, and helped bring federal dollars to Utah for a freeway project and the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. "He was respected by men and women on both sides of the aisle, not only for his expertise but also for his common touch, his common sense, and his commitment to uncommon virtues," Mitt Romney said in a statement. Bennett was criticized by members of the Tea Party for voting for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), and lost his 2010 re-election bid at the Republican state convention to Sen. Mike Lee. After leaving the Senate, he started a consulting firm and taught at the University of Utah and George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs. Bennett is survived by his wife, Joyce, six children, and 20 grandchildren.

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