Dick Riley is the model of what a politician should be. He was in it for all the right reasons.
And Fritz perfected the model of "4 years a liberal, then 2 years hard to the right to get re-elected." Worked well for 40 years back when we had a lot of progressive/populist politicians in the South.
You may recall the story of him asking that his name be taken off of the federal judicial center in Charleston so it could be renamed for Judge J Waites Waring. As a Federal Judge in the 50s, he had ended white-only primaries in SC, and wrote a famous dissent in a desegregation case that became a major part of the Brown vs Board of Education case. He faced death threats, and had his home attacked as a result.
My favorite personal story was attending a social event at the Heritage Golf tournament on Hilton Head years ago. Fritz and Strom Thurmond were both there, and were asked to make comments. Fritz, being the Junior Senator, spoke first while Strom sat on the stage and appeared to go to sleep (he was only about 90 then). Fritz mentioned that he was the "most senior junior Senator in history." Without even looking up, Strom said, in his famous drawl, "Get used to it, Fritz."
I mentioned that I had been involved in politics since the 70s. My first real activity was in 1968 as chairman of my County Young Republicans group, selling "Help Strom elect Nixon" stickers in high school to raise money.
Before I get a lifetime ban here, I then left home and went to college, where I became involved in the anti-war movement and - to my Daddy's shame - worked for McGovern in 1972. Been blue in a red state since then.