Congressman Charlie Wilson, RIP

In marked contrast to my last post, I'm now in active mourning.

Charlie Wilson, the flamboyant playboy Congressman who played a key role in arming the Mujahedeen--the armed guerillas who broke the back of Soviet power in Afghanistan in the 1980s--has passed away.

God rest him.

Yes, he is to be respected and mourned, in spite of the possibility that the campaign cost us the Twin Towers as "blowback." In the end, freeing the world of Soviet tyranny was, and is, worth the cost we paid, before and after.

To the honored Member from Texas: we salute you.

ADDENDUM:

I really MUST share this story, from his Wiki entry:

It is speculated that Wilson first entered politics as a teenager by running a campaign against his next-door neighbor, city council incumbent Charles Hazard. When Wilson was 13, his dog entered Hazard's yard. Hazard retaliated by mixing crushed glass into the dog's food, causing fatal internal bleeding. Being a farmer's son, Wilson was able to get a driving permit at age 13, which enabled him to drive 96 voters, mainly black citizens from poor neighborhoods, to the polls. As they left the car, it is speculated that he told each of them that he didn't want to influence their vote, but that the incumbent Hazard had purposely killed his dog. After Hazard was defeated by a margin of 16 votes, Wilson went to his house to tell him he shouldn't poison any more dogs. Wilson cited this as "the day [he] fell in love with America."

A love that lasted his whole life, one should add.

God bless him.