Goodbye to a very good man…

posted by Bill Arnett @ 11:46 AM Permalink

Representative Tom Lantos, the only Holocaust survivor ever elected to congress, has passed away at age 80. I always admired his quick wit, his grasp of our legislative system, his investigative abilities, the fact that he was just a fine gentleman, and that he would have been so in any day or age, recent or past.

He had esophageal cancer and had earlier announced his prospective retirement from congress to combat the cancer, a battle he has unfortunately lost.

His district included southwest San Francisco and much of San Mateo County for 14 terms in the House of Representatives. where he served the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, as the senior Democratic member since 2001 and chairman since 2007.

I just liked and admired the man, even when I disagreed with the position he took on using military power in Iraq, a view that he himself rethought in recent years and came to conclude it was a mistakes.

I no longer believe in god, but I know Rep. Lantos did, so I wish him godspeed and I am sure his God will take care of a very special man.

My condolences to all his family.

Labels: Congress, heroes, Holocaust survivor, Lantos, liberals, patriotism