Alex Ram

Bedell decided not to seek reelection in 1986 after contracting Lyme Disease from a tick bite. Since then, he has founded a center for alternative medicine and is a noted advocate of health freedom. Due largely to his friendship with Tom Harkin, he remains an important political figure in Iowa, with politicians such as Howard Dean meeting him in their trips to the state. Also, the Elinor Bedell State Park was established in 1998 on land donated by Berkley Bedell. The park is named after the Congressman's wife.

As an opponent of the Vietnam War, Bedell signed a petition urging against United States military intervention in Iraq. This petition was signed with the names of 70 former Congressmen from the 1970s and was presented in a press conference on March 15, 2003. Bedell said that it was unbelievable for the United States to settle disputes with war, and he said that an Iraq war would be similar to the Vietnam War.

In the 2004 presidential election, Bedell attacked John Kerry for voting for Newt Gingrich's Freedom to Farm Act, which Bedell claims wrecked the farm program. Bedell would later officially endorse Howard Dean's candidacy. For the 2008 election, Bedell met with Chris Dodd. However, in December 2007, he announced his endorsement of Barack Obama.


Adapted from the Wikipedia article Berkley Bedell, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki