Montana leaders of Sen. Mansfield’s era stand out

Mike Mansfield would have been 112 St. Patrick’s Day. Our political system misses him. Mike’s unifying and fair approach to leadership resulted in the enactment by Congress of a galaxy of major and far-reaching legislation. He led at a time of turbulence and division. Symbolic of his great place in his time, with the whole nation watching, Montana’s Mike Mansfield, once a "mucker" in the Butte mines, delivered a movingly eloquent eulogy over the casket of President Kennedy, in the Capitol rotunda, on Nov. 24, 1963.

Two Montana leaders of Mansfield’s era, like him, stand out as men of great character. Both from Eastern Montana, elder statesmen now, and with birthdays this spring, "Big Ed" Smith will soon be 95, Jim Lucas, 88.

Bob Brown

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