http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/rep-ike-skelton-dead-81-20709728

He was the only Dem I ever voted for, and I voted for him every time. He was a good man, and there aren't too many good men in politics.


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Same here. I was proud to have him as my representative when they redrew the districts and put northern Polk County into his from the 8th. Good man. A true "Dixiecrat". Thank you for your service, Sir. You will be missed.

While I voted for him a few times , IMO he turned the last several terms , which I think, negated the muchof the good he did earlier.

Actually HE , got me politically motivated, his was the FIRST elected official I ever called (numerous times) So for that  +1

And NO , I don't go for this, " only say nice things about the deceased"  PC stuff.

I'll say it when your alive, don't change when your dead.

I was in his D.C. office a number of times. In my old job I went to D.C. six or eight times as a chaperone with a youth tour (high school students). We always did a Capitol Hill day and tried to arrange for the kids to visit their congressmen. Among the various congressional visits I accompanied kids on, Ike was always the most sincerely interested the kids and how they were doing. Often he knew their parents or people back home that the kids knew. He took the time and he took the kids seriously.

For the same job I also tagged along on a few grassroots legislative trips that involved people from the industry I worked in going to D.C. and calling on their Congressmen to discuss issues of interest to the industry. Again, Ike was always the most sincere and engaged. Compared to the other Congresscritters we visited, he was better prepared and seemed to know more about his district than any of the others. A lot of Congressman would shake the group's hands, shoot a few pictures, kiss some ass and then excuse themselves for the next appointment. Ike would sit down at his desk while everyone crowded into the room and then we'd have a real conversation. Again, he took the time and he took people seriously.

One of the things that always impressed me about Ike was that he was pretty much no bullshit. If somebody brought up some piece of legislation concerning a back-burner topic, a lot of Congressmen would blow smoke up your ass about how important the issue was to him. Ike was different. He'd tell you flat out that unless the bill moved out of committee he couldn't care less.

ETA: It was always weird to shake his hand, though . . .