With his quick mind and endless capacity for hard work, Mel quickly became one of the best-informed House members on military affairs. He was our sharpest and most relentless interrogator of the defense establishment when they came testifying. Mel was the only congressman who so rattled Defense Secretary Bob McNamara that he lunged across the witness table when Mel called him out on a lie. He was a tower of strength for us on that subcommittee.
To Mel, politics is the “art and science of government.” More than almost anyone I’ve known, Mel has the political equivalent of perfect pitch; he has a long-range view of what’s going to happen, and he knows what to do about it. He’s a prodigious worker.
Most Americans are pragmatists. We want to make things work. We value authenticity at least as much as ideology. As far as Mel and I are concerned, there are no enemies in politics — just adversaries who disagree with you on one vote and might be with you on the next.
At the end of the day, no leader worth his salt will take comfort in the polls he conducted or the tactical victories he may have racked up. Anyone can take a poll; only a leader can move a nation.