Henry Hyde 1924-2007

Today the United States lost a great leader and patriot as former congressman Henry Hyde (R-Ill) died at hospital in Chicago.
Mr. Hyde should be remembered for many things, such as being a passionate defender of the unborn and led the passage of the Hyde amendment banning federal dollars being used to perform abortions, being a strong conservative in a moderate Illinois state Republican party, being a leading voice for a strong, aggressive foreign and defense policies. But, Mr. Hyde will forever go down as the leader of the House of Representative managers in the impeachment of former President Bill Clinton.
During that trying time in American history, Mr. Hyde did not shy away or try to cut a deal. Mr. Hyde met the matter head on and pursed impeachment to its conclusion. Because Mr. Hyde chose to follow the law, he gained the scorn of the pro-Clinton crowd and suffered the humiliation of having an illicit affair from the 1960s become public. That's how the Clinton crowd played, trying to change the subject rather than face the reality of the serious charges brought against President Clinton. But not even that indignity stopped Mr. Hyde.
For that alone he deserves respect. Many of his fellow impeachment managers did not fare well in the 2000 elections. A California congressman, James Rogan, lost his bid for reelection. Mr. Hyde won and kept winning until he retired from congress in 2006.
Mr. Hyde served 16 terms or 32 years in the House of Representatives and was in when the Republican party suffered the humiliation of the Watergate mess and when the Republicans took control of congress in the 1994 midterm elections.
As chairman of the House International Affairs committee, he joined with then President Clinton opposing the 1973 War Powers Resolution and that was a principled move as some harder-line Republicans were trying to use that to curb President Clinton from sending troops to Haiti, Somalia and Bosnia.
Mr. Hyde was a man of great principles and that is sorely lacking in so many of the political class on both sides of the aisle in this day and age. Mr. Hyde was one of the strongest anti-abortion members of the House and never backed down. And, Mr Hyde was committed to stopping the scourge of HIV-AIDS as he led passage of a bill that funded prevention programs in developing nations. For that, Mr. Hyde was ahead of the curve on that issue.
There have been few men or women who had the commitment like that of Henry Hyde in my 43 years on God's earth, but I am thankful he was in this time and is a lesson for all who aspire to the political arena. God Bless Henry Hyde.