Tennessee senator and ambassador to China Jim Sasser has died

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Jim Sasser, who served 18 years in the U.S. Senate and six years as ambassador to China, has died. He was 87. The Democrat represented Tennessee in the Senate from 1977 to 1995. Then, President Bill Clinton appointed him ambassador to China, a post he held until 2001. While in the Senate, he worked his way up the party leadership, serving as chairman of the budget committee from 1989 to 1992. He had a chance of becoming Senate majority leader before he was defeated for re-election in 1994 by Republican Bill Frist. Sasser was the last Democrat to represent Tennessee in the Senate.