[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 44 (Friday, March 14, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E435]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING U.S. SENATOR HOWARD METZENBAUM

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. STEVEN C. LaTOURETTE

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 14, 2008

  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the late Howard 
Metzenbaum, the tenacious and scrapping Senator from the State of Ohio 
who died this week at the age of 90.
  I never had the privilege of serving in the Congress with Senator 
Metzenbaum, as he retired the same year I was elected. Nevertheless, I 
followed his career closely from the sidelines and admired him because 
he was so truly authentic and larger than life. Agree with him or not, 
he was one of the most important political figures in our State in the 
last century. I respected Senator Metzenbaum because he was so true to 
himself and his core beliefs and values, even when they were immensely 
unpopular. He was unflinchingly liberal and made no apologies for it. 
The Buckeye State--long before we'd been tagged red or blue--
consistently rewarded him at the polls for his fighting spirit and his 
``don't mess with me'' attitude.
  In Metzenbaum, Ohioans had a tenacious, extraordinarily hard-working 
and committed Senator who helped elevate so many issues of importance 
to Ohioans to the national stage. One of his most remarkable 
accomplishments, in my estimation, was giving workers 60 days notice of 
plant closings, a scenario that has become all too familiar in our 
State. He is best known for championing workers' rights and the middle 
class, challenging and aggravating corporate America, and ferreting out 
wasteful spending. Yet, he had a soft and compassionate side as well, 
and led the effort to change the law to make it easier to adopt a child 
of a different race. That one legislative victory made adoption a 
reality for countless families, and gave so many children a loving 
home.
  Howard Metzenbaum was a man of remarkable wealth, yet he chose to 
devote so much of his life to public service. He brought to Washington 
the same work ethic that he'd bestowed on his business affairs, and 
never seemed to slow down or coast as his years in the Senate stretched 
on. He left the institution just as feisty and combative as he'd 
arrived.
  Today, far too many politicians' choices are guided by polling data, 
focus groups and the ramblings of pundits and talk show hosts. Senator 
Metzenbaum left public life before the Internet took hold and the media 
feeding frenzy crested, yet I have to believe that the Junior Senator 
from Ohio wouldn't have been tamed or tempered by talk radio, 24-hour 
news cycles or the blogosphere. To the contrary, I think it would have 
emboldened the unapologetic, unabashed and ferocious liberal who, 
against many odds, earned the respect and support of so many Ohioans.
  This week, Ohio and the Cleveland area lost a political giant. My 
thoughts and prayers are with the Metzenbaum family.

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