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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