Feel the Love

Congressman Ramstad is retiring. I saw him most recently at his spiel at the Humphrey Center:

All of us need to be reminded of HHH's guiding principle: The moral test of government is how we treat those in the dawn of life, the children, the twilight of light, the elderly, and the shadow of life, the sick and needy.

Ramstad caught many of us off guard with his announcement, but in a show of support, several on the Left showered him with good wishes. Something the MNGOP struggles with on a regular basis.

From DFL Chair Brian Melendez:

In an era of increasingly divisive politics, Congressman Ramstad has consistently worked across the aisle to get things done for Minnesota. As DFLers, we appreciated his personal friendship with the late Senator Paul Wellstone and Sheila Wellstone. In addition, all Minnesotans can be grateful for Representative Ramstad’s relentless advocacy with regard to alcoholism and addiction issues and his tireless work for mental-health parity. In these fields, he leaves an important legacy.

and Sen. Klobuchar:

Jim Ramstad is a person of great integrity, who always does what he thinks is right for his constituents rather than simply following the party line. He fostered a spirit of bi-partisanship in Minnesota and in Washington. Jim is an exemplary public servant, and he will be missed in the halls of Congress.

even Al Franken:

There weren't enough Jim Ramstads in Congress even before today's announcement.

"Jim's political courage and principled leadership, especially on mental health parity, have served as an example for those of us who believe we should lead on our values, not our party affiliation.

Respect for our adversaries is a sign of a strong republic. The Right could take a lesson from that.

Flash