Name	Dorgon
Full name	Aisin Gioro Dorgon (愛新覺羅 多爾袞)
Temple name	Qing Chengzong清成宗
Posthumous name	Emperor Maode Xiuyuan Guangyie Dinggong Anmin Lizheng Cheng Jingyi (懋德修遠廣業定功安民立政誠敬義皇帝)
Spouse	Princess Borjigin, Empress ChéngzonglángLady DonggiyaPrincess BorjiginPrincess BorjginPrincess BorjiginLady YiPrincess BorjiginLady Lee
Issue	Princess DongmuPrince Duōěrbó, Prince Rui (adoptive)
Father	Nurhaci
Mother	Lady Abahai
Date of birth	November 17, 1612
Place of birth	Yenden, Manchuria
Date of death	December 31, 1650
Place of death	Kharahotun, Qing Empire

Dorgon (Manchu: ; ) (Literally, a "badger" in Manchu) (17 November 1612 – 31 December 1650), also known as Hošoi Mergen Cin Wang, the Prince Rui (和碩睿親王), was one of the most influential Manchu princes in the early Qing dynasty. He laid the groundwork for the Manchu rule of China.

Early life

Dorgon was born in Yenden, Manchuria (now Xinbin, Liaoning province), China. He is the fourteenth son of the Manchu leader Nurhaci. His mother was the Lady Abahai; Dodo and Ajige were his full brothers, and the Emperor Hong Taiji was his half-brother. Dorgon became one of the most powerful of the princes, and was instrumental in moving Manchu forces into Beijing in 1644. During Hong Taiji's reign he took part in many military campaigns, including conquests of the Mongols and of Korea.

Struggle to Power

After Hong Taiji's death, Dorgon was involved in a power struggle with Hooge, eldest son of Hong Taiji, for the throne. In the end, they compromised, and Dorgon supported the dead emperor's ninth son, his nephew Fulin (Emperor Shunzhi), to ascend the throne. He was made regent because Shunzhi was only six at the time of his ascension, and thus became the de facto ruler of the country. He was rumored to have married Xiaozhuangwen Grand Empress Dowager, although this claim has been repeatedly disputed, and has become one of the four great mysteries of the Qing Dynasty. He was later given the title "Uncle of the Emperor, Prince Regent" (皇叔父攝政王), which then becomes "Father of the Emperor, Prince Regent" (皇父攝政王).

Death

After he suddenly died on a hunting trip on 31 December 1650 at the age of 38 in Kharahotun [now Chengde, Hebei province] , Dorgon received the posthumous rank of Emperor, the only time this happened in the Qing Dynasty. He was given the title "Maode Xiuyuan Guangyie Dinggong Anmin Lizheng Cheng Jingyi Huangdi" (懋德修遠廣業定功安民立政誠敬義皇帝). His temple name was Chéngzōng (成宗), which means 'Becoming Ancestor'. Even the Emperor Shunzhi bowed three times before Dorgon's coffin.

Banned & Restores Title

However, in 1651, forces once opposed to Dorgon, led by former co-regent Jirgalang (Prince Zheng) produced a long list of his crimes, which included: Secretly preparing forbidden material such as yellow robes (strictly used by the Emperor); plotting to take the throne from Shunzhi; calling himself the Father of the Emperor; killing Hooge and taking his concubines for himself, etc. It is believed that Dorgon had been engaged in a fierce power struggle with the young Emperor Shunzhi as the Emperor reached maturity. So as the opposition forces gained power, the Emperor Shunzi posthumously stripped Dorgon of all his titles and even flogged his corpse. He was rehabilitated during the reigns of Kangxi Emperor and Qianlong Emperor and acknowledged as a loyal Prince of the Qing Dynasty.

Dorgon died leaving a surviving daughter but no male offspring. However, he adopted his nephew (fifth son of Dodo) as heir to his princely title.

References and notes

Category:1612 births Category:1650 deaths Category:Qing Dynasty imperial princes Category:Regents Category:Regents of China Category:Manchu statesmen

Name	Byron Dorgan
Jr/sr	Junior Senator
State	North Dakota
Party	Democratic-NPL
Term start	December 15, 1992
Term end	January 3, 2011
Preceded	Kent Conrad
Succeeded	John Hoeven
State2	North Dakota
District2	At-Large
Term start2	January 3, 1981
Term end2	December 15, 1992
Preceded2	Mark Andrews
Succeeded2	Earl Pomeroy
Order3	Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs
Term start3	January 3, 2007
Term end3	January 3,2011
Preceded3	John McCain
Order4	18th Tax Commissioner of North Dakota
Term start4	1969
Term end4	1980
Governor4	William L. GuyArthur A. Link
Preceded4	Edwin O. Sjaasstad
Succeeded4	Kent Conrad
Date of birth	May 14, 1942
Place of birth	Dickinson, North Dakota
Dead	alive
Residence	Bismarck, North Dakota
Occupation	PoliticianAuthorAerospace Manager
Spouse	Kim Dorgan
| alma mater	University of North Dakota (B.S.)University of Denver (M.B.A.)
Religion	Lutheran

Byron Leslie Dorgan (born May 14, 1942) is a former United States Senator from North Dakota. He is a member of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party, the North Dakota affiliate of the Democratic Party. In the Senate, he was Chairman of the Democratic Policy Committee and Chairman of the Committee on Indian Affairs. Dorgan announced on January 5, 2010 that he would not seek re-election in the 2010 North Dakota senate election, and he was succeeded by current Senator and former North Dakota Governor John Hoeven.

Early life

Dorgan was born in Dickinson, North Dakota, the son of Dorothy (née Bach) and Emmett Patrick Dorgan, and was raised in Regent, North Dakota. He graduated from Regent High School and earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of North Dakota in 1964 and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Denver in 1966. Dorgan worked in management for a Denver aerospace firm, eventually earning a position training others for high ranking company positions.

Early political career

Dorgan's public service career began at age 26, when he was appointed North Dakota State Tax Commissioner. He was the youngest constitutional officer in North Dakota's history. He was re-elected to that office by large margins in 1972 and 1976, and was chosen one of "Ten Outstanding State Officials" in the United States by the Washington Monthly magazine. Dorgan served as tax commissioner of North Dakota from 1969 until 1980. His future Senate colleague Kent Conrad worked in the same office before succeeding Dorgan at this post. Dorgan ran unsuccessfully for a seat in Congress in 1974. He was elected to the United States House of Representatives in his second bid in 1980. He was a member from 1981 until 1992, being re-elected five times.

United States Senate

Elections

In 1992, the Democratic incumbent, Kent Conrad opted not to run for re-election because of a campaign promise. Dorgan won the election for the seat. However, that September the state's other senator, Quentin Burdick, died and Conrad ran for the seat in the special election. Conrad took the new seat in 1992 and Dorgan assumed Conrad's old seat a few weeks early. Dorgan was re-elected in 1998 and 2004. Conrad later was elected for a full term from North Dakota's other Senate seat.

Tenure

When Byron Dorgan was the chairman of the Democratic Policy Committee, he was one of the most powerful Democrats in the Senate. In his later years of his senate career, he had been increasingly sought by the national media for comment on political issues. He was a strong opponent of U.S. policy toward Cuba. He has introduced, with varying levels of success, several amendments to end the U.S. prohibition on travel to Cuba, and to terminate funds for anti-Castro broadcasting. Dorgan has also opposed most bills "liberalizing" trade policies between the USA and other countries. He has a mixed record on tort reform issues, voting against the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act and the Class Action Fairness Act, but voting in favor of the vetoed Common Sense Product Liability and Legal Reform Act and the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act.

In 2007 he was a major supporter of Net Neutrality legislation in the Senate. He sees this as essential to keeping the Internet open and democratic.

In 2007, he was a major opponent of the McCain-Kennedy Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007 (S. 1639) saying that the legislation would continue the downward push of illegal aliens on the wages of American workers.

In 2008, he was one of the first politicians whom spoke of the oncoming economic downturn in a speech to the Senate on January 23 which was in response to then President Bush's economic stimulus package.

In 2009, he voted against the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009. He joined all 39 voting Republican senators and 11 Senate Democrats.

Dorgan has three times introduced a bill forming a Truman committee to oversee Government waste, fraud, and corruption in the giving of governmental contracts.

In 2009, Dorgan voted to approve the $838 billion dollar stimulus package. This vote passed 61-37 in the United States Senate.

In 2009, Dorgan sided with fellow Democrats to make funds available to modify or build facilities to allow Guantanamo detainees to be brought to the United States. This was a reversal from a previous vote to not allow federal funds to be used to transfer or incarcerate Guantanamo inmates.

Although Dorgan had indicated in early 2008 he would seek a fourth term in the Senate, on January 5, 2010, he issued a statement announcing he would not run for re-election. In it, he insisted that the "...decision [was] not a reflection of any dissatisfaction with my work in the Senate, nor [was] it connected to a potential election contest [in the fall of 2010] (frankly, I believe if I were to run for another term I would be reelected)."

On September 26, 2008, against a backdrop of growing economic turmoil caused by the Credit Crunch, an article written by David Leonhardt of The New York Times singled out a quotation made by Dorgan in 1999 during the US Senate's repeal of the Glass-Steagall act. "I think we will look back in 10 years’ time and say we should not have done this, but we did because we forgot the lessons of the past, and that that which is true in the 1930s is true in 2010". Dorgan was one of only 8 senators who voted "No" on the deregulation bill in 1999 Together they have two children, Brendon and Haley, and from his first marriage Dorgan has a son Scott and had a daughter Shelly, who is deceased.

Controversy

In November 2005, Dorgan was accused of receiving campaign contributions from people who worked for companies connected to lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Because Dorgan is the top Democrat on the committee investigating Abramoff, questions were raised about a possible conflict of interest.

In a statement released on November 28, 2005, Dorgan responded by asserting that he has never personally met Jack Abramoff, nor has he ever received money from Abramoff. Dorgan did acknowledge receiving money from Abramoff's clients, but the donations began prior to their involvement with Abramoff. Dorgan's statement went on to say that he has supported the programs that benefited Abramoff's clients years prior to the contribution.

Dorgan's statement pointed out other errors in the news reports, such as correcting who made a call to the Department of the Interior and for what purpose. The news reports claimed that one of Dorgan's staff members made the call in order to express support for the program that benefited Abramoff's clients, whereas in reality it was a staff member for the Chairman of the Interior Subcommittee who made the call, and the call was made in opposition to the program.

On December 13, 2005 Dorgan announced that he was returning all donations from Abramoff's clients as a precaution that the contributions may have been directed or requested by Abramoff.

Writings

Dorgan, Byron Reckless!: How Debt, Deregulation, and Dark Money Nearly Bankrupted America (And How We Can Fix It!) Thomas Dunne Books (2009) ISBN 0-312-38303-7

Dorgan, Byron Take This Job and Ship It: How Corporate Greed and Brain-Dead Politics Are Selling Out America Thomas Dunne Books (July 25, 2006) ISBN 0-312-35522-X

Dorgan, Byron (editor) Electric Transmission Infrastructure and Investment Needs: Hearing Before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, U.S. Senate Diane Pub Co (January 2003) ISBN 0-7567-2997-1

Electoral history

{| class="wikitable" |+ North Dakota Senator (Class III) results: 1992–2004 !|Year ! !|Democrat !|Votes !|Pct ! !|Republican !|Votes !|Pct ! !|3rd Party !|Party !|Votes !|Pct |- |1992 | |rowspan=3 |Byron L.Dorgan | align="right" |179,347 | |59% | | | | align="right" |118,162 | |39% | | |Tom Asbridge | |Independent | align="right" |6,448 | align="right" |2% |- |1998 | | align="right" |134,747 | |63% | | | | align="right" |75,013 | |35% | | |Harley McLain | |Reform | align="right" |3,598 | align="right" |2% |- |2004 | | align="right" |212,143 | |68% | | | | align="right" |98,553 | |32% | |colspan=4|

See also

North Dakota United States Senate election, 1986

North Dakota United States Senate election, 1992

North Dakota United States Senate election, 1998

North Dakota United States Senate election, 2004

References

External links

Byron Dorgan at Metavid

Category:1942 births Category:Living people Category:People from Stark County, North Dakota Category:Members of the United States House of Representatives from North Dakota Category:North Dakota Tax Commissioners Category:United States Senators from North Dakota Dorgon, Byron Category:University of North Dakota alumni Category:American Lutherans Category:American anti-illegal immigration activists Category:Democratic Party United States Senators Category:North Dakota Democrats