WASHINGTON -(AP)- Rep. Tom Lantos of California, the only Holocaust survivor to serve in Congress, has died, his spokeswoman said Monday.Lynne Weil said that Lantos, 80, passed away at the Bethesda Naval Medical Center in suburban Maryland.Lantos, a Democrat who chaired the House Foreign Affairs Committee, disclosed last month that he had been diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus.
It’s interesting…
Tall and dignified, Lantos never lost the accent of his native Hungary, but his courtly demeanor belied the cutting comments he would make in committee if the testimony he heard was not to his liking.
“Morally, you are pygmies,” he berated top executives of Yahoo Inc. at a hearing he called in November 2007 as they defended their company’s involvement in the jailing of a Chinese journalist.
Interesting that this should come up just before the Olympics there when so many are signing statements swearing they won’t berate the Chinese Government. And I wonder if his objection would be so loud, in this case.
Addendum: Michelle notes:
Didn’t agree with him on much, but he rightly castigated Europe over its anti-Gitmo hysteria and had a remarkable personal history.
Yeah, I have to admit, I couldn’t stand the man, myself, though when he started making statements about Gitmo, I will admit to being surprised. I suspect a number of the left were as well… the ones who weren’t convinced he was speaking as a part of the Jewish Lobby…..
Tags: BitsBlog, BO, california, Congress, Democrat, Men, NY, rope, UN
