Friends and colleagues continue their tributes to the late U.S. Congressman John Dingell. The nation's longest serving Congressman died Thursday night. He was 92.
Michigan 5th Congressional District Representative Dan Kildee was among those close to Dingell. He shared memories with WKAR's Peter Whorf this morning:
DK: John Dingell devoted his entire life to service to our country - and that is something that should be honored. I think he really stood up for what is good about public service. I think the one thing that is so clear, especially in Michigan is that John Dingell brought so many good people into government that used him as a mentor. I feel that way myself. I don't remember not knowing John Dingell. The fact that I grew up as a young kid in Michigan, interested in politics, admired him and then had the incredible good fortune of serving side-by-side with him in Congress - there's so many people like me who are so grateful to have had that opportunity.
PW: Could you share a recollection of when you first met John Dingell?
DK: I know I was a young kid. I just remember John was this big booming presence. He was respected - maybe feared a little. He just has this presence about him - this command. And I think it was born out of his willingness to be a real leader, and sometimes tell people things they didn't want to hear. He was just larger than life. I have one particular recollection. One night in my first term here. It happened to be the 50th anniversary of the signing of the 1964 Civil Rights act. I was watching C-Span that night in my apartment here in Washington - and saw then-President Lyndon Johnson greet young Congressman John Dingell at the bill-signing. I remember feeling this incredible sense of history.
PW: I'm feeling those goosebumps too. This morning, I saw, for the first time, a 1941 photo of young Senate Page John Dingell. He was a boy.
DK: Yeah. He literally grew up knowing and really loving this institution and honestly doing everything to maintain public respect for it by the way he served. He understood this place like very few people ever will.