Charlie Wilson’s war……

Charlie Wilson died yesterday. That is a totally sad development. Wilson will receive a Feb. 23 graveside service with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.

He deserves that kind of funeral-and our gratitude.

Let me be blunt-Congress needs more guys like him and less guys ( and gals) like this one.

I admire Charlie Wilson because he is  my ideal Congressman-a work hard,  play hard,  kind of guy:

A self-confessed playboy, Wilson was investigated, but never convicted, over taking cocaine in a Las Vegas strip club. Wilson’s luckless young prosecutor was Rudolph Giuliani, the former Republican mayor of New York, who, as Republican mayor of New York, ran into a tabloid scandal or two of his own.

Wilson’s close ties with the CIA, for which he secured hundreds of millions of dollars in Congress, was the nexus that channelled US money and weapons to the Afghan fighters – in particular the plane-loads of anti-aircraft Stinger missiles, which some analysts say was decisive in persuading the Soviets to withdraw in 1989.

But Wilson, who represented the same Texas district for more than a quarter of a century, might ultimately be remembered for his brilliant manipulation of congressional procedures. His Democratic colleague from Michigan, John Dingell, once said: “You take substance and give me procedure, and I’ll screw you every time.” Wilson’s mastery of the House appropriations subcommittee on defence is a classic example of that.

Re-elected 12 times on the slogan, “Wilson Gets it Done”, he was the type of Democrat the party rarely, if ever, produces any longer. A hawkish, cold war warrior, Wilson was also strongly progressive on social issues. Nowadays, the few Democrats who get elected to Washington from the southern states are usually social conservatives.

I admire the man for a whole bunch of reasons. And yes,  the fact that he loved women-and drank a lot,  is one or two of them. More men should drink a lot and chase women-the country would be better for it.

A guy like Charlie Wilson cannot get elected today-so screwed up is American electoral politics- with its obsession with having politicians who subscribe to a warped, Puritan, vision of relationships between men and women. Charlie Wilson liked to have fun-and made no secret of it. He and I appear to have a lot in common:

While his comments about women made many wince — and would hardly be shrugged at today as they were back then — he always had good, professional relationships with the Democratic women he served with. And while his voting record was reliably liberal — he was a strong supporter of abortion rights and providing for unpaid family and medical leave — he was a consistent opponent of gun control. He also opposed lifting the ban on gays in the military.

Hey, the guy once called Pat Schroeder, “babycakes”. What’s not to like about that?

What most of the moralizing idiots of the world forget is that Charlie always showed up for work on time- and if he had a fondness for women and booze, so what? Every man needs a hobby. His and mine align quite well.

“Charlie was perfect as a congressman, perfect as a state representative, perfect as a state senator. He was a perfect reflection of the people he represented,” said Charles Schnabel Jr., who served for seven years as Wilson’s chief of staff in Washington and worked with Wilson when he served in the Texas Senate.

Temple, who was with Wilson when he collapsed Wednesday, said that despite Wilson’s reputation as a playboy, he was serious about representing eastern Texas, including helping to create the Big Thicket National Preserve — almost 100,000 acres of swamps, bogs and forests.

Wilson left politics in 1996, after he no longer found it fun. If you ask me- he was prescient, leaving before the world of You Tube would have made it impossible to do the wheeling and dealing that was necessary to get things done. Certainly he had a lot more going for him than idiots like John Boehner. To borrow a line from comedian Rick Ducommun: So it’s wrong to make love to a beautiful woman? Well lock me up and take me to Russia!

I first heard the news on NPR this morning. I have to admit-I smiled when I heard this particular anecdote about him. I think its great-and great measure of the man:

GOODWYN: Plane loads of stinger missiles, beginning in 1986, began to turn the tide against the Russians. By 1989, it was over in Afghanistan, at least for the Soviet Union. But it was never easy getting Wilson reelected in the heart of the Bible Belt. TV advertising man, Mark McCannon, who worked for Wilson, recalls how nearly every campaign, they had to cope was some embarrassing revelation about Wilson’s after hours activities. The problem was, Wilson wasn’t ever-really embarrassed. At the beginning of one contest, Wilson called his strategist into his office.

Mr. MARK MCCANNON (Strategist for Charlie Wilson, Former): We sat down and he said, boys, you know what? I know we had a lot of issues in past campaigns that were difficult to deal with, but I want to reassure you this time its going to be easier. Because Ive settle down, met a good Christian woman; she sings in the church choir, doesn’t drink a lick, I love her, and were plan on getting married – just as soon as she graduates from high school.

GOODWYN: Wilson was just having a bit of fun with his poor beleaguered campaign staff, but Charlie Wilsons tryst with a stunningly beautiful Russian model was no joke. The two were seen together everywhere in Washington. When Wilson announced they were getting married, politicians on both sides of the aisle were aghast. The Congressman from East Texas knew more about American military spending and the CIA than practically any man alive. What in the world was Charlie whispering to her under the covers? He was called before a Congressional committee and ordered to explain. Wilson told them to relax, saying, the only secret I’m giving her is Victoria’s Secret. It was an answer they could all believe, nevertheless, Good Time Charlie broke it off with the Soviet model not long after.

May God grant him a place in the heavens and peace.