Howard Baker, 88, former Senate majority leader

[Bob Of Burleson]

Former Senate Majority Leader
Howard Baker Dies

NBCnews.com

Former Republican Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker has died, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announced on the Senate floor on Thursday.

Baker, a longtime senator from Tennessee who also served as chief of staff to President Ronald Reagan from 1987 to 1988, was 88 years old.

In 1973, Baker rose to national prominence as the vice chairman of the Senate Watergate Committee. He famously asked during the proceedings "What did the president know, and when did he know it?"

Later in his career, he was a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 1980. He served as the U.S. ambassador to Japan under President George W. Bush.

First published June 26th 2014, 12:27 pm