Headline: WITH
GOV. CARNAHAN'S DEATH, MISSOURIANS HAVE LOST A FRIEND
Reporter: By Greg Freeman
Publication: ST.
LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Last Printed: Thu., Oct. 19, 2000
Section: METRO, Page: B1, Edition: FIVE STAR LIFT
Kind words for a kind man
When state Sen.
William Lacy Clay Jr. heard about Gov. Mel Carnahan's death this week, he thought
about a meeting he had with Carnahan this year.
Clay,
who had known Carnahan for nearly 20 years, was meeting with the governor in
his office in Jefferson City. Carnahan, who was seeking the U.S. Senate seat
held by Republican John Ashcroft, and Clay, the odds-on favorite to win the
1st District seat in Congress over Republican Z. Dwight Billingsly, were imagining.
"I said, 'Wouldn't it be interesting if we were both elected and served
together in Washington?'
"Mel
smiled at me and said, 'It would be fun.' "
Clay was no Johnny-come-lately
to the Carnahan camp. For several years they worked together on several projects,
most notably the bill that settled the St. Louis school desegregation case,
and Clay was a major local supporter in 1992 when Carnahan ran for his first
term as governor. Clay, the sponsor this year of a measure that named part of
Interstate 55 after civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks, was planning to see Carnahan
next week. "We were scheduled to dedicate I-55 to Rosa Parks, " Clay
said. "This is a tremendous loss."
Clay
said that his family and the Carnahans are close. "Our families are close
because of public service, " he said. "My daughter goes to school
with his grandson."
Carnahan
was "always chipper and cheery, " Clay said. "He had a real passion
for his work. But at the same time, he was a real family man, a loving father,
a kind grandfather. I always found him to be a kind man."
I got a glimpse
of the governor's kindness last month. I had written a column noting that I
suffer from a form of muscular dystrophy, a diagnosis that I received only a
couple of months ago. In that column, I'd written that despite the disease,
I wasn't going to let it control me. I plan to remain busy, I wrote.
A
few days letter, I received a handwritten note from the governor. "I read
your article about your experience with M.D., " he wrote. "You are
to be commended for your approach to this new condition in your life. It is
evident to me that you will persist and prevail because of your positive attitude.
I wish you the best."
I
must say that I was moved. Carnahan was in the midst of a heated campaign, and
I was impressed that he was kind enough to take time out of a schedule that
I'm sure was busy to drop me a note.
It's no wonder
so many Missourians were impressed with him.
And
if I hadn't been sure, I got a confirmation of that Wednesday morning on "St.
Louis on the Air, " a radio talk show that I host daily on KWMU-FM.
Wednesday's
topic was Carnahan's legacy and, in addition to a panel of politicians and political
experts, listeners were invited to call in and express their thoughts. One by
one, listeners called in and expressed deep admiration for Carnahan.
It's too late
to remove Carnahan's name from the ballot. Out of about 15 calls that we took
Wednesday, maybe 13 said that they planned to vote for Carnahan anyway, either
as a tribute to him or because they believed in the ideals of the Lincolnesque
governor.
If
Carnahan were to somehow win the election, Gov. Roger Wilson would appoint a
successor to the Senate.
No
one knows what's happening on that front right now. Missourians, along with
the Carnahan family and the family of Chris Sifford, Carnahan's aide who also
perished in the plane crash, are still grieving. There will be time to talk
about politics.
Right now, Missourians
are busy remembering the many accomplishments of the plain-spoken, quietly aggressive
governor.
Not only
have we lost perhaps one of the greatest governors in recent history and a potential
senator. Missouri has lost a friend.
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