Tom Lantos has passed away

[ingac70]

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Tom Lantos of California, the only Holocaust survivor ever to serve in Congress, died early Monday morning, his spokeswoman said.

Read more: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ijDA5bgxiHlTvS_r-SSjskS1Tq1wD8UO5ODO0

[Eurobabe]

1. RIP Mr. Lantos

[indimuse]

2. blessings..

RIP..Mr Lantos

[Az_lefty]

3. RIP Sir...

[knitter4democracy]

4. May his memory be ever eternal and ever blessed.

May he be in a place of peace and repose.

[Demeter]

5. How Does California Fill This Vacancy? Election? Appointment?

Leave it till November?

[CreekDog]

10. Usually 90 days to schedule and election, there is a June primary so...

That might be the date of the election.

The seat will undoubtedly be won by Jackie Speier whom nearly everybody in the district has already endorsed, including Lantos himself.

Jackie Speier was an aide to another congressman in this district, Leo Ryan who was assassinated in the Jonestown Massacre. Speier herself was shot multiple times, but survived. She has been a member of the state leglislature for years here and a champion of consumer and privacy protection. No doubt her personal story will mean that she is a guardian of human rights as well which would be fitting for this district since both Leo Ryan and Lantos were great in that respect.

[LiberalFighter]

34. You are not the only one... it is "an election" not "and election"

[dbackjon]

6. RIP to a great man

[derby378]

7. Rest in peace, Tom...

We will never forget.

[CreekDog]

8. RIP to my congressman.

SF Gate has a full obituary including his personal story and what led him to come to congress.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/02/11/MNIDV09VH.DTL

(02-11) 07:46 PST WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Congressman Tom Lantos, D-San Mateo, died today from complications from esophageal cancer, his office announced this morning.

Lantos is the only Holocaust survivor elected to Congress and made human rights struggles a hallmark of his 28-year career in Washington. He died this morning at Bethesda Naval Medical Center, his spokeswoman said. He was 80 years old.

[Gormy Cuss]

25. The Chronicle obit is good.

Many people don't realize that he was the other rep for the city of San Francisco. When he announced his retirement it was pretty low key, as if he thought that he could beat back this cancer.

[pink-o]

47. My congressperson, too.

I lived for years in Southern SF, now I'm living in Daly City, right on the SF border. Lantos pissed me off, cuz he could be a real hawk, but I never negated his life experience. I think he's been a rep almost as long as I've been old enough to vote.

RIP, Mr Lantos. We'll say a Kaddish for you.

As for Jackie Spiers, I have nothing but admiration for her. She's been a great state assemblywoman, and showed real dignity when her husband was killed by a drunk driver. I'm looking forward to her being our new rep.

[racaulk]

9. RIP, Mr. Lantos.

[LeahMira]

11. May all those who mourn him be comforted.

[tishaLA]

12. RIP Mr Lantos.

[question everything]

13. May his memory be blessed

and may his family and friends be comforted.

[JPZenger]

16. One of 80,000 Jews Saved by Raoul Wallenberg in 1945

Mr. Lantos was one of the persons saved by Raoul Wallenberg in 1944-5.

http://www.auschwitz.dk/Wallenberg.htm

Only two major populations of Jewish persons survived WWII in areas controlled by Germany - in Denmark (who were transported by Danes to Sweden) and in Budapest, Hungary. Somewhere between 80,000 and 100,000 Jewish persons in Hungary were saved by the efforts of Swedish diplomats Wallenberg and his associates. They used a combination of bluster, courage, an ability to speak multiple languages and bribery to save the lives.

Wallenberg was sent into Hungary at the request of American Jewish organizations and with a pile of American cash for bribes.

Wallenberg was one of only two persons granted honorary American citizenship - the other was Winston Churchill.

Nazi Adolf Eichman was in charge of murdering all fo the Jews in Budapest. Wallenberg had to go eyeball to eyeball with him to save lives. Wallenberg's life was constantly in danger. He left a comfortable life in a neutral country to enter into the middle of one of the most satanic situations in modern history. He truly walked in the valley of death.

In 1945, Wallenberg was captured by the Soviets. He apparently died years later in a Soviet Gulag. The Swedish government made little real effort to seek his release.

[YOY]

33. See the movie "God Afton Herr Wallenberg"

Fantastic flick about the man.

[Binka]

14. Rock On Tom

RIP

[jwirr]

15. RIP

[Name removed]

17. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Jade Fox]

18. What a very great loss to this country...RIP Mr. Lantos

[IronLionZion]

19. RIP Tom

:patriot:

[d_b]

20. RIP

=(

[sonias]

21. So sorry to hear that

May he rest in peace and his family has my condolences.


Sonia

[Tom Joad]

22. I wish more congresspeople had his courage. He was willing to

stand alone in support of the Iraq war when very few congresspeople in the Bay Area were willing to do that. Bush has lost a courageous co-fighter for military intervention in the Middle East.

So few congresspeople are willing to risk their career to stand for something they believe in. Lantos did. In fact, if he were healthy, and stood for re-election, he probably would have been soundly defeated in the Primary. That just shows you his courage.

[Name removed]

37. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

63. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[cali]

42. you see things in a very bushian way

tom. And humans aren't that simple. Tom Lantos made mistakes. He also was a great advocate for human rights, and a complex person. It must be wonderful to live in your crude black and white, all good or all bad, world. Oh, and in case you didn't notice it, Lantos was elected twice since his IWR vote and there's little chance he would have been defeated in the primary had he run- despite your fevered imagination.

[Tom Joad]

62. why do you get off on these personal attacks, Cali?

[Tom Joad]

72. Why do you think he made a "mistake"? at what time did he ever say his work

was a "mistake".

You are not aware of the polls that were taken before his announcement he would not run. He was in real trouble. Sadly, his political troubles became the least of his concerns.

http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/capitolalertlatest/009476.html

December 06, 2007

Speier up by 30?

It looks like former Sen. Jackie Speier's unofficial campaign for Congress has handed over some early poll numbers to Roll Call (reg. required), the Washington D.C. political newspaper.

Not surprisingly, the poll shows Speier doing very well -- holding a 30-point edge (57 percent to 27 percent) over Rep. Tom Lantos, the long-time Bay Area Democrat.

The poll was conducted by Democratic pollster Jim Moore at the end of October.
Posted by Shane Goldmacher on December 6, 2007 10:48 AM

[Name removed]

54. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[oberliner]

68. Tom Lantos stated clearly that we need to get out of Iraq

Please consult this article for more information regarding Lantos' position on the Iraq War before he passed away:

Title: We need to get out of Iraq

Author: Tom Lantos

Concluding paragraph: The situation in Iraq cries out for a dramatic change of course. We need to get out of Iraq, for that country's sake and for our own. It is time to go - and to go now.

Citation: http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/tom_lantos/2007/09/we_need_to_get_out_of_iraq.html

[Tom Joad]

71. that was not his position in 2003, or 2004 or 2005 and you damn well know it.

Look, he did want the US to invade Iraq, saying otherwise really dishonors the truth. Many Americans thought it was the right thing to do. Lantos was one of them. Not many Americans, outside the Cheney administration itself, did so much to promote the war.

I am not one of those who supported the war at any time, but that was one of my disagreements with Lantos.

That he eventually came to say that we needed to make some changes to the management of the war (due to overwhelming political pressure in his district, more likely than not-- does NOT negate his hard work to make the invasion happen, not only the latest invasion but the initial invasion wrought by Bush the Elder. It was not the work of a single vote, but lobbying hard in congress to build support for the invasion of Iraq.

[oberliner]

73. He didn't say we needed to make some changes to the management of the war

He said we needed to leave Iraq immediately.

You will note that in May of 2007, he voted yes on redeploying US troops out of Iraq starting in 90 days.

[Tom Joad]

74. In May of 2003, what was he saying? In May of 2004, what was he saying?

In March of 2005, what was he saying????

Your still skipping much of real history here. Do you think he supported the invasion of Iraq or not?
I understand that some people may think he did not.

Some people doubt Armstrong walked on the moon. I don't expect to change people's deeply held beliefs. Whatever floats your little boat, man.

And to start leaving Iraq immediately is very much different than saying the US must leave Iraq completely and immediately (very short time). Tragically, most US politicians support staying in Iraq, in one form or another, for a very long time.

[Taverner]

23. RIP Rep Lantos

[adadem]

24. A great man

So sad...a great Democrat, a great man. He will be missed.

[Raejeanowl]

26. Rest In Peace /nt

[niyad]

27. may he be at peace, and may all who mourn him find comfort.

[shenmue]

28. Rest in peace.

:bluebox:

[DFW]

29. I actually met Tom Lantos

He was at a Renaissance weekend with me a few years back
and we shared a couple of panels together.

He was a wonderful, and very thoughtful man--not surprising
after all he had been through.

He will be sorely missed.

[Melinda]

30. A true peoples champion; RIP Mr. Lantos.

[xchrom]

31. Peace be with his family.

[Auggie]

32. He was my first representative

California 12th District -- a chunk of San Francisco and the peninsula. Coming from Ohio as I did he was quite a breath of fresh air.

[Hekate]

35. May his name be remembered for a blessing, and may all those who mourn be comforted

Thank you, Tom Lantos, for the good you did in this life.

Hekate

[lonestarnot]

36. We salute your service.

:patriot:

[JerseygirlCT]

38. Oh my goodness!

How horrible and sad!

[lebkuchen]

39. an immigrant, from Hungary, who mastered English

unlike our born and raised in the US of A president.

[KamaAina]

40. The strongest voice for human rights in all of Congress

Who will stand up for the oppressed from now on?

[jjr5]

41. My he rest in God's arms

May God bless him deeply and bountifully. Amen.

[LeftishBrit]

43. I am so sorry to hear this!

RIP.

[classysassy]

44. God bless

you sir.

[Ken Burch]

45. The only Holocaust survivor ever elected to Congress.

He was a good man. May his district elect a worthy successor.

[SalmonChantedEvening]

46. RIP Mr. Lantos

:patriot: :cry:

[ellisonz]

48. R.I.P.

[nuxvomica]

49. A great American

:patriot:

[DarthDem]

50. Oh, No :(

Truly sad. What a great man.

May he rest in peace and best wishes to all who mourn him.

[whistle]

51. I was greatly saddened to hear of Rep Lantos' passing, he did much

...as a democratic representative for over a quarter of a century for the people of California and the nation. May he rest in peace.

[calimary]

52. Damn. What a great man he was.

What a figure of inspiration, reason, and strength!

He served faithfully and selflessly til the very end.

Sleep in peace, Mr. Congressman. And thank you for all your wonderful work!

[wisteria]

53. Aw, I was so sorry to hear about this. What a special and caring person he was.

God grant him peace.

[JI7]

55. i didn't expect this so soon

it was only announced about a week ago he was going to leave congress. very sad.

[enough already]

56. He was a great man

Condolences to his family and friends.

[Jack Rabbit]

57. ()

Mediatinker

[davidinalameda]

58. this is very sad

[Counciltucky]

59. RIP Rep. Lantos

Your story is touching, and you served your country and world well.

[myrna minx]

60. RIP. n/t

[thatsrightimirish]

61. RIP

From a grateful constituent

[Yuugal]

64. RIP Sir

Over many years of darkness on c-span you were one of the lights.

[RFKHumphreyObama]

65. I wish Mr. Lantos a peaceful journey to the next life

My deepest, sincerest and most heartfelt thoughts, prayers, sympathies and condolences are extended to his family, friends and political colleagues. This is a very tragic loss for Congress, the progressive movement and the nation

Mr Lantos has a remarkable and distinguished record of public service and heroism. He participated in the resistance movement against the Nazis and fought against fascism in his youth. He subsequently went on to become a progressive and visionary congressman who courageously advocated human rights and compassion both domestically and internationally and consistently emphasized human rights and social justice throughout his time in the House.

Thank you for your service Mr. Lantos. You sought to make the world a better place throughout your life and may your legacy of compassion and humanitarianism never be forgotten. The world is a better place for having had you in it and I know you will be sadly missed.

[bulloney]

66. I wasn't aware that Lantos was a holocaust survivor.

That's the thing I've noticed about Democrats vs. Republicans who serve Congress and other elected positions. For the most part, when the Democrat takes a position, they're doing from the perspective of experiencing something on that issue first-hand.

The Republican often takes the position because someone told him/her to do so, whether it's the president if he's of the same party, or some blathering idiot on a radio talk show.

[Tom Joad]

67. I wish the people who died today in Occupied Iraq, Occupied Palestine, peace.

and i wish it more for the living.

[oberliner]

69. Ban Ki-moon Mourns Death Of Congressman Tom Lantos

Mr. Ban paid tribute to the California Congressman's "exceptional courage and contribution, in the national and international arenas, as a champion of our common humanity."

He said Mr. Lantos' "immeasurable efforts in attuning the consciousness and the conscience of people to the dangers of intolerance and human rights violations will long be remembered."

Spokesperson Michele Montas added that the Secretary-General "joins Mr. Lantos' colleagues in the United States Congress, the Jewish community and the international community in giving thanks for his life."

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0802/S00139.htm

[AllKnowingGuy]

70. Who is Tom Lantos?

Who is Tom Lantos? I am new to US, please tell me about him?

Ivan
[e-mail]