[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 195 (Wednesday, December 19, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2638-E2639]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         REMEMBERING HENRY HYDE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DAVID DREIER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 19, 2007

  Mr. DREIER. Madam Speaker, we are all saddened by the passing of our 
friend and colleague, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde). He will 
be sorely missed not only by his fellow Members, but by the countless 
people who came in contact with him on a daily basis.
  One such person is Mr. Bert Caswell, a guide with the Capitol Guide 
Service. I am including for the Record a poem written by Bert about the 
late Mr. Hyde, as well as a recent article from The Hill discussing his 
poetry. I hope all Members will take the time to read this poem and 
remember Henry Hyde.

                     Something's, You Can Not Hyde?

     Something's!
     You can not Hyde!
     That lives with us, so very deep down inside. . .throughout 
           our lives!
     All in what we say and do!
     All in who we so touch. . .that make us a real who's who!
     As in our times, that which so comes into view!
     For it's all about how you so carry yourself, as when you 
           rise!
     For it's all in what you so do, in others eyes, as your time 
           upon this earth goes by!
     For these, are the things that which one can not Hyde!
     Fast breaking in our lives!
     To court our hearts, all in our part called life that which 
           so defines!
     All in The Game of Life, you were so great Henry Hyde!
     Henry Hyde, was such The Man. . .
     Who upon the hardwood and on the floor of The House, did so 
           boldy stand!
     All because of his great heart, and stance. . .and his gentle 
           hand!
     From That Land of Lincoln. . .
     From one court of greatness to another, always thinking!
     As across the aisle he reached out his hand!
     Quiet in his calm and caring grace.
     For his service to God and Country he now so holds his place. 
           . .
     And for all of those magnificent children, he did stand!
     Oh, Henry Hyde,
     You were, But The Man! For in you we can so understand!
     What it is to be a leader, a patriot, a family man. . .and 
           God fearing man!
     Yes, In Life. . .Something's, You Just Can Not Hyde!

[[Page E2639]]

                             For the Record

                            (By Arie Dekker)

       Congress's day-to-day proceedings and debates can be found 
     immortalized in the official Congressional Record. The 
     record's nearly 2,000 books, comprising more than 150 
     volumes, line the brick walls of the Senate Library and 
     preserve the words of presidents, ambassadors, legislators 
     and Bert Caswell, a 54-year-old Capitol tour guide from 
     Baltimore.
       Caswell may seem like an odd addition to the Record of 
     floor speeches, inaugural addresses, scholarly essays and 
     research studies. But his unflinching patriotism as captured 
     in his accessible and unpretentious poetry is consistently 
     submitted to honor America's diverse heroes.
       ``I never thought I was a writer,'' Caswell said. ``I 
     thought writing was punctuation and spelling, and I can't do 
     either.''
       But when former Majority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kan.) resigned 
     from the Senate to run for president in 1996, Caswell was so 
     moved that he wrote the poem ``The Measure of a Man'' in 
     Dole's honor. After the poem was casually distributed around 
     Capitol Hill, then-Sen. Don Nickles (R-Okla.) officially 
     inserted it into The Congressional Record.
       ``And from that moment, my life was changed,'' Caswell 
     said.
       Caswell had written only two poems before and has since 
     composed more than 500 in tribute to lawmakers, presidents, 
     veterans, entertainers, athletes and others. About 20 of his 
     poems have wound up in The Congressional Record, after having 
     been submitted by members from both sides of the aisle.
       In memory of Sean Taylor, the football star who was 
     recently killed by intruders in his Miami home, Rep. Kendrick 
     Meek (D-Fla.) submitted a new Caswell poem to the Record on 
     Dec. 4 entitled ``Taylor Made.'' Meek's spokesman Adam Sharon 
     said Caswell and Meek talk as friends practically every day 
     about their comings and goings. He said Meek is impressed 
     with Caswell's ``big heart'' and willingness to go above and 
     beyond his regular duties--not only writing poetry, but 
     giving Capitol tours to special visitors like wounded 
     veterans and children from the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
       ``The congressman finds that extremely commendable,'' 
     Sharon said.
       Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) submitted a Caswell poem last 
     month to honor Gunnery Sgt. Angel Barcenas, a Marine whose 
     legs were amputated last year after sustaining injuries in 
     Iraq. Barcenas had previously served Presidents Bill Clinton 
     and George W. Bush on Marine One, and he recently led a group 
     of Marines, police officers, and firefighters in a formation 
     run to ground zero in New York City.
       ``Poetry has been a medium for not only documenting history 
     but also upholding the principles that have made our nation 
     great--principles such as courage, honor and perseverance,'' 
     Sessions said in an e-mailed statement. ``I applaud Bert for 
     using his gift of poetry to honor America's bravest.''
       Listening to Caswell talk about his poetry is like taking a 
     crash course in American history and culture. He has written 
     about sports legends, political leaders, war veterans, 
     firefighters, entertainers, civil rights leaders and 
     Holocaust survivors.
       ``I write about heroes, people that inspire me,'' he said. 
     ``I really am impressed with the people who have power and 
     fame, and yet they wield it and they make the world better. 
     And that's what it's really all about.''
       Caswell's subjects include sports stars Steve Young, Cal 
     Ripken Jr. and Mario Andretti; civil rights leaders Rosa 
     Parks and Martin Luther King Jr.; reporter David Bloom; 
     entertainers Bob Hope, Jason Alexander and Tom Hanks; 
     Congressional Gold Medal recipient Dorothy Height and former 
     astronaut and Sen. John Glenn (D-Ohio).
       Caswell wears his patriotism on his sleeve. He makes an 
     ideal tour guide, welcoming Capitol visitors with instant 
     anecdotes about their home states' or cities' contributions 
     to the greater national identity. He will seriously discuss 
     their college sports teams' strengths and vulnerabilities, 
     impersonate California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), or 
     crack jokes about the highest court in the land not being the 
     Supreme Court, but rather a basketball court up the street.
       Caswell has worked for the Capitol Guide Service for 21 
     years, although he did not plan it that way. As an all-
     American lacrosse star, he played on the national champion 
     University of Maryland team in 1975. Before becoming a 
     regular contributor to The Congressional Record, he was 
     listed in NCAA record books as a top scorer at the 1975 
     Division 1 lacrosse tournament. He later coached the Maryland 
     team for five years.
       He earned two graduate degrees from Bowie State College, 
     one in education and the other in administrative management. 
     He then taught high school physical education and science for 
     about 10 years.
       In addition to being included in The Congressional Record, 
     Caswell's poetry has been presented at official ceremonies 
     and posted in government buildings. Several of his poems are 
     posted in the amputee ward at the Walter Reed Army Medical 
     Center. One of his poems is on display in a memorial to the 
     police officers who were killed when a gunman entered the 
     Capitol in 1998 and opened fire.
       ``I see more in three months than most people see in a 
     lifetime,'' Caswell said, drawing a connection between his 
     job as a tour guide and his passion for writing about 
     American heroism. He said working at the Capitol exposes him 
     to people from around the world and also gives him a unique 
     first-hand view of lawmakers, who he says are 
     underappreciated for their service. He is currently compiling 
     his poetry for a book that will include anecdotes about the 
     many famous people he has encountered in Washington.
       ``I have had the privilege of getting to know Bert during 
     my time in Congress,'' said Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), who has 
     inserted three of Caswell's poems into the Record this year. 
     ``As a Capitol Hill tour guide, [Caswell] is instrumental in 
     sharing the rich history of our beautiful Capitol Building.''
       Caswell writes his poetry on a small laptop so he can write 
     wherever and whenever inspiration strikes. His writing 
     process is simple: He records what's on his mind, lets it sit 
     for a while, and returns typically only once to double-check 
     his work. He said the average poem takes no more than 30 
     minutes to complete.
       ``Mostly everything the first time comes out great,'' he 
     said. ``And then I go back and tweak it. Normally the first 
     draft's pretty good.''
       He does not have a favorite poet or style of poetry. He 
     actually avoids reading other poetry to keep his own work 
     pure.
       ``I don't read other people's work, hardly, because I don't 
     want it to change my words,'' Caswell said.

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