Henry Hyde, R.I.P.
He was a pro-life lion and fierce advocate for a strong national defense. May he rest in peace. Via The Hill:
Former Rep. Henry Hyde (R-Ill.) died Wednesday night at the age of 83, according to political sources.
Hyde, one of the GOP leaders in the House impeachment proceedings against former President Bill Clinton, had been recovering from heart surgery performed six months ago. He served 16 terms in Congress before retiring in 2006.
Earlier this month, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. His son accepted the award on his behalf. Here’s what President Bush said:
Bob Hyde is here on behalf of his Dad, the Honorable Henry J. Hyde, who was not able to be with us today. Congressman Hyde spent more than three decades as a towering figure on Capitol Hill. But he first made his name in Washington more than 60 years ago. He was on the Georgetown basketball team, and played in the NCAA Eastern championship game in 1943. After college and Navy service in World War II, he returned home to Illinois, and earned a law degree, and made his way into politics. This erudite, scholarly man has walked with kings and kept the common touch. He won 20 elections, and gave steady service to the people of Illinois for 40 years.
In the House, Congressman Hyde rose to the chairmanship of two committees, Judiciary and International Relations. And from the first day, he was a commanding presence, and he was a man of consequence. Colleagues were struck by his extraordinary intellect, his deep convictions, and eloquent voice. In committee and in the House chamber, the background noise would stop when Henry Hyde had the floor.
He used his persuasive powers for noble causes. He stood for a strong and purposeful America — confident in freedom’s advance, and firm in freedom’s defense. He stood for limited, accountable government, and the equality of every person before the law. He was a gallant champion of the weak and forgotten, and a fearless defender of life in all its seasons.
Henry Hyde spoke of controversial matters with intellectual honesty and without rancor. He proved that a man can have firm convictions and be a favorite of Democrats and Republicans alike.
Henry likes quoting the adage, “Make new friends, but keep the old; one is silver but the other is gold.” To so many on Capitol Hill, Henry Hyde’s friendship is gold. They’re quick to say it’s not the same Congress without him — but that we’re a better country because he was there. And colleagues will always admire and look up to the gentleman from Illinois, Henry J. Hyde. And, Bob, please tell your Dad a lot of us in Washington love him. (Applause.)
***
Here’s NRO’s tribute to Rep. Hyde earlier this month.
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- Henry Hyde, 1924-2007 « Scatterin’ O’ the Thoughts
- » Dr. Jekyll & the Late Henry Hyde: GOP Rep. Took $$ From Terrorist Al-Arian, Harassed Me for Reporting it, Was Strong Anti-Israel/Pan-Terrorist Force in Congress NoisyRoom.net: Courage is the price that Life exacts for granting peace. Amelia Ea
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RIP, Henry.
That he did his job in impeachment only to have the feckless RINOs in the Senate (probably blackmailed by their FBI files) give Clinton a pass probably didn’t do the poor man’s heart any good either.
Ironicly, Chicago will largely ignore his passing…
R.I.P :salute:
A great congressman. RIP.
Godspeed sir. You are missed.
Rest in Peace, Henry. One of the great conservative leaders of our time.
RIP. He’s now in a place where he can truly help guide us to peace and tranquility.
good job Henry Hyde.You stood out.
You made a difference when you were there.God Bless You and Your family.
I will celebrate your life, again
THANK YOU
I grew up in his district in Illinois. He will be missed.
Chicago may be blue, swj719AWG, but the western suburbs are strongly red.
Alec Baldwin was unavailable for comment.
RIP, Henry.
He must have known he was failing. He resigned just before the deadline for scheduling a special election during next year’s primary election.
This forstalls Democratic gov Blagojevich from appointing a Democrat to fullfil the rest of his term.
Remember, he was the “prosecutor” against Clinton during the impeachment trial when he chaired the House Judiciary committee.
A notable quote from him:
He was a principled Republican and the voters in his district will miss him, as will the state of Illinois, whom he served.
RIP Mr. Hyde.
A good one, for sure. God bless him & his family.
I will never forget his empassioned speeches during the debate over partial-birth abortion. He was a hero and champion for the rights of the unborn. Dear, dear man. What a welcome he must have received in glory, no doubt hearing, “Well done, Good & Faithful Servant”.
He got it.
He will be missed.
Rest in Peace
We need many more like him, but it’s unlikely we will find them.
RIP you did well sir.
Thank you Henry. I will never forget you.
Thank you for your service, Henry. Tell Ronnie hello for us and that we miss him.
.
RIP Mr. Hyde
May the soul of Mr. Hyde, and of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
A man of honor. God bless him.
RIP, Rep. Hyde. One rarely puts “decent” and “politician” together, but he was one of the exceptions.
He was a very sincere man. And He will be missed.
To set the record straight,he did not run for re-election in 2006.
Mr Peter Roskam (r) ran for his seat and won despite the Democratic plan that ran a Disabled Iraq war veteran against him
Henry Hyde took lots of money from Sami Al-Arian, defended Al-Arian, and was a major anti-Israel force in Congress. I was personally harassed by his chief of staff for reporting on Hyde’s receipt of the Al-Arian funds. He was not a great man. He was a lowlife. He does not deserve your praise, Michelle.
The Henry Hyde who defended his adultry by saying it was a “youthful indescretion” (at age 40) and when the story was reported allegedly tried to get the FBI to investigate the source?
Hyde has to be evaluated on two levels. In Illinois, we have a horrible, endemic state of corruption thanks to “The Combine” — the well-known but unspoken alliance between Dems and GOP pols vs. any sort of reformers. Whether it was a liberal like Paul Vallas or a social conservative like Peter Fitzgerald, The Combine attacks any true reformer.
Hey Bonsai…when you’re in your 80’s, you ARE youthful at age 40!
Sheesh, Debbie. Can’t even wait until the man has been laid to rest? Are you truly ready to say that the man did no good for the people he represented?
Referring to Michelle as misinformed and the NRO as “drug-addled” seems a bit over the top, don’t you think?
I wrote “apparently drug-addled” about NRO. This is not the first time NRO has pandered to pan-Islamists. Rich Lowry removed a piece by me which he admitted was completely true because the subject of it, Suhail Khan, whose father worked for Al-Qaeda, asked him to and so did the Bush White House. Ask Robert Spencer what he thinks of NRO.
And I said “They are misinformed.” I did not say “Michelle is misinformed” or single her out, though I did link to this. But since you lied, I think Michelle is inaccurate (and yes, misinformed) to say Hyde “was a strong advocate for national defense,” especially since she has repeatedly written that she believes those who oppose the terror-fighting measures he opposed (on behalf of a major terrorist) are opposed to national security and defense.
He was a BAD guy. People did not do their research on him, and reading NRO’s piece, they’d have to be on drugs to lavish this cretin with praise.
Gee, please remind me where the rule book is that says: Thou must wait until his burial before criticizing a fan, panderer, and enabler of terrorists? How long should I wait? When it’s old news that he died? If that’s the case, then by your logic, those who are lavishing him with undeserved praise should also wait until he is “laid to rest.”
Not over the top at all. I welcome everyone to read it and see if they have the same nitpicking over-reaction to it that you do. The fact is those who gush all over Henry Hyde are, indeed, misinformed. Or they support the things he did (which I know Michelle does not, can’t say the same for NRO).
Um, you need some reading lessons. I did not write that Michelle was “misinformed.” Did not even mention her, though I did link to this entry, because I think it is wrong–yes, misinformed. I said “They are misinformed,” about his prominent conservative lauders.
Frankly, Michelle is wrong to call Hyde a “fierce advocate for a strong national defense” when he fiercely opposed most counterteror measures that she repeatedly writes are a basic part of a strong national defense. Either you are or you aren’t. And Hyde wasn’t.
Please tell me which rule book says: Thou shalt not expose a terrorism-enabler until after burial? How long should I wait? Until it’s old news? By your logic, then why is it okay for misinformed praise to go on before he’s “laid to rest”? When Bill and Hillary die, will you bite your tongue and attack those who do not?
As for NRO, they’d have to be drug-addled to write such gushing praise over this cretin who helped those who’d take our freedoms. I welcome everyone to read the truth about Henry Hyde’s support for terrorists and pan-Islamist behavior in Congress. Then, tell me who is over the top (ie., you, Salt). And this isn’t the first time NRO was willing to overlook pan-terrorism for politics. Ask Robert Spencer what he thinks of them.
Henry Hyde was a bad guy. Period.
Too bad you can’t handle the truth.
I found Mr. Hyde to be a man of decency and conviction. I did not always agree with him, but I found him honorable and respectable.
He will be missed.
eric aka the Tygrrrr Express
Debbie, while you may not believe me, I do welcome your thoughts and admit that I may not be as fully informed as I would like. That was why I took the time to read your posting.
However, it seems clear that you have a lot of emotion over this, particularly since you took such offense to my little post here.
If you feel I misrepresented what you said, I apologize. However, when you refer to “they” and “prominent conservatives” and link directly to this post here, I believe it was fair to infer that you were implying that Michelle was misinformed. To state that I was lying about it seems a little silly, particularly when you again confirm it here.
Honestly, I’m not looking to pick a fight, but I resent being called a liar.
I respect Robert Spencer and am an avid fan of Jyhad Watch. However, what does this have to do with the “drug-addled” comment? The NRO can be wrong without being considered to be on drugs, no?
You’re right, there’s no rule. You’re certainly free to say it. It just seems a bit impolite to be saying it the morning after when he has family and friends grieving for him. However, I do certainly yield the fact that it’s only my opinion and there is no rule.
I would also encourage people to read your article as well. I was sincere in my attempt to understand your position. It was just a bit difficult to get through some of the passion you clearly have over the matter.
The rule book is called Class – something Schlussel sorely lacks. A fantatic can never have a civil disagreement over “the issue”. In this case, Schlussel is a rabid Zionist. [Note to ignorant: So is the guy at LGF, so don't make the statement what it isn't.] Anyone who disagrees with a fanatic’s view can’t just have a different perspective – they must be evil incarnate. Ask Yitzhak Rabin – on second thought, ask his widow.
Salt, I have to concur with you on manners.
It seems on this issue Ms. Schlussel is a bit irrational. She clearly has no fondness for the late Senator Hyde. But I agree with you that she may not have chosen the best time, place and manner to expound on her dislike for Hyde here.
She is a good person and a fine writer. Certainly a very passionate person. Unfortunately “passionate” doesn’t always = the right thing.
At any rate I agree there should be no rush to fling slings and arrows at the recently deceased. Good point,salt.
Debbie, thanks for posting. I didn’t realize that Hyde supported such shady characters like Al-Arian and that he was so anti-Israel…definitely changes my opinion of him. I wouldn’t listen to those complaining about your timing, Hyde did what he did and it needs to be told. Just because he did some good things doesn’t give him a free pass for the bad things he apparently did.
Hmmm . . . I know what that word means when Louis Farrakhan uses it. I knew Henry Hyde was an anti-Semite. So, it’s nor surprise that a good number of his fans are, too.
Gee whiz, Brent, you’re pretty easy. Did you do any of your own research? It seems folly to just take Schlussel’s comment as gospel before changing your mind on Hyde.
Using your own logic, “just because he apparently did a bad thing shouldn’t negate all the good things he did”.
Ding Ding! Give the witch enough rope and she hangs herself!
There it is in plain words – Henry Hyde is an anti-Semite. So, Schlussel, what does that make all the commentators lavishing praise on him at NRO?
Brent says:
I agree with Brent’s post.
How about uninformed. I didn’t know about Hyde’s support of terrorists until after Debbie Schlussel’s piece today on her blog. I’m sure many of the commenters don’t know his ties to terrorists.
“Schlussel is a rabid Zionist.”
-Corona
Indeed it should raise an eyebrow, Ms. Schlussel, when terms are prefaced with “rabid” and offered as a perjorative.
If someone wants to say “Jew”, let them just do it outright instead of the cute tippytoeing around with “Zionist”.
Though not Jewish, I am quite happy and proud to be very Zionist. Don’t mind if people call me that if they know the meaning of the word they toss about.
My point of disagreement here would be that not all who believe Senator Hyde was a good public servant in many respects are uniformed, drug users or liars.
I believe all of us have, rightly or wrongly, boosters and detractors. This was true even with someone as highly esteemed as was President Reagan.
But for all things there is a time and a season. I would submit that a person’s day of passing probably isn’t the best time for some things. A person will still be dead a week later, a month later, a year later – to my thinking, at least, there’s no need to rush to condemnation.
I don’t know Debbie…maybe you all do. I don’t have any reason to believe or disbelief her writings, but she does illuminate her writing with a personally unpleasant experience, which should at least give the reader some notice of a potential filter through which she viewed Henry Hyde.
I do know the impact Hyde had on this country. He got Clinton impeached. He got the partial-birth abortion issue front and center. The list is too long to include here.
I’m sorry that Debbie was so wounded by his staffer, but who should be persuaded in a single day to abandon an opinion they’ve held for some time, based on a single opinion piece? I don’t know what to make of such proclamations here.
It does boggle, doesn’t it, Vicki? It’s like the folks who have no idea whether they’re going to vote for the GOP, the Dem or other Presidential candidate until they actually get into the voting booth.
A lot of people were convinced when Debbie Schlussel wrote about Fred Thompson’s support of Spencer Abraham: http://www.debbieschlussel.com/archives/2007/07/jihad_fred_fred.html Many, including Michelle, linked to it, and it caused many GOP voters to think twice about Fred Thompson. It was the beginning of his plunge in the polls.
It is about being informed. For all the good things Hyde did, his support for terrorists on American soil and his anti-Israel stance (and Debbie Schlussel provides a lot of evidence for it) should affect opinion about his legacy, especially when we see the fruit of some of his policies–September 11.
A good ballast will give mental, moral, or political stability or steadiness.
Seems to me that people need to check their ballasts for cracks, if they can change course so quickly.
Yup, indeedy, Vicki. Otherwise a person would go to page to page on the web, ending up hopelessly lost mentally and emotionally!
One of the biggest problems of the internet – to be taken with the good things – is it doesn’t offer any “digestion” time (much less “rumination” time). It’s instantaneous, which is barely semi-OK for coffee and surely not very helpful in the forming, or doing a 360 change, of an opinion.
There might be a presumption here that I was automatically defending Rep. Hyde.
Corona- I would consider calling Debbie a rabid Zionist uncalled for as well. I like to consider myself pro-Israel. Purplepeep has expressed himself (herself?) on this much more eloquently than I did.
In hindsight, my own initial response was a bit tainted emotionally, I admit. However, it wasn’t to defend Henry Hyde, but rather that the timing coupled with the vehemence was a little off-putting. I was certainly willing to read something I may not have known and am continuing my own (somewhat lame) methods of looking for other references and sources that support Debbie’s position. I freely admit there might be something here I didn’t know. It just struck me as odd that after all this time this was the first I ever heard of it.
I certainly did not intend to start any red-on-red battles here.
I didn’t take it that way, salt. I think your central point was – and for my money it’s a fine one – is the day of a Senator’s death the day to attack him? Extract the politics and we’re just talkin’ a question of good timing.
Very true, peep.
And for other readers who may think I’m picking on her, I’m not commenting on Debbie’s experience or her writing or her opinion. Only that, and particularly as those who rise above the “soundbite” mentality so prevalent on the left (”drive-by media”, anyone?), we should seek to understand the facts before allowing ourselves such easy sway. I want to be able to give a reason for the truth that I believe.
I’m also a Zionist, BTW.
I am Jewish, a conservative republican, and the son of a Holocaust survivor.
I was totally unaware that Henry Hyde was bad on this issue. I will have to do some research on this. It would be a shame.
I have been heartbroken to find out that people I used to admire greatly (Jude Wanniski and Grover Norquist come to mind) had leanings that were anti-semitic or at the least unsympathetic to Israel. It does not invalidate supply side economics, but it would prevent me from shaking their hands (when Wanniski was alive).
I hope Ms. Schleussel is wrong about Mr. Hyde. If she turns out to be right, I will sadly accept what I find. I cannot ignore truth or I would become a liberal.
Respectfully,
eric aka the Tygrrrr Express
something to think about:
Rich Lowry on Henry Hyde:
“He had principles, but was never a fanatic. He was partisan, but never a bomb-thrower.”
After reading Debbie’s post I don’t know whether to say RIP or BIH. Having taken money from and supporting terrorists, being a Jew hater, and from Debbie’s account, resorting to gangster like tactics to shut someone up, leads me to the latter.
Huh,C? One of the reasons I can’t get too worked up over Ms. Schlussel’s (whom I like) post on Hyde is the dependence on just such over-the-top language. e.g. since National Review Online thought he was a good Senator they are “drug addled” instead of just “wrong”.