Thoughts and prayers to the family.

RIP

His luster dimmed with his participation in the Pelosi Traveling Dhimmi Circus last year, but he was for the most part brave, honest, and a clear moral voice.

RIP

Didn't agree with him on much, but condolences to his family

Let's pray He will pray for us, we need Help.
A lot of help.

Thoughts go out to his family...

A moral compass among Congress regarding Arab matters.

If the best revenge is living well, let it be known that he did not die at the hands of those that tried to kill him, but died (relatively) old, free, and actively participating in the greatest experiment in freedom the world has ever known.

RIP, Mr. Lantos. We didn't see eye-to-eye on some issues, but I respected the man.

Condolences to his family and friends.

Sincerest condolences to his family, rest in peace.

"It is only in the United States that a penniless survivor of the Holocaust and a fighter in the anti-Nazi underground could have received an education, raised a family and had the privilege of serving the last three decades of his life as a member of Congress," Lantos said upon announcing his retirement last month. "I will never be able to express fully my profoundly felt gratitude to this great country."

He was my parents' representative for the past 27 years.

Condolences to his family. This is a great loss for the Peninsula and for supporters of Israel.

A Democrat more decent than most. Probably due to his age. I think that the Democrats' biggest problem has been 4 decades of courting the increasingly selfish and ignorant-of-the-real-world "youth vote". They wouldn't have half the moonbattery if they weren't so eager to please the MTV crowd, which (pre-Clinton) used to do us all a favor by not voting.

Lantos, who referred to himself as "an American by choice," was born to Jewish parents in Budapest, Hungary, and was 16 when Adolf Hitler occupied Hungary in 1944. He survived by escaping from the labor camp and coming under the protection of Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat who used his official status and visa-issuing powers to save thousands of Hungarian Jews. Lantos' mother and much of his family perished in the Holocaust.

Lantos was a tough guy. 14 terms in Congress, a Holocaust survivor, a human rights activist. IMO, he could be a little moonbatty at times (e.g., getting arrested at a Darfur protest - a little unbecoming for a Congressman. Again, just IMO). It's tragic he got cancer. He was still active, and even though he was 80, it's like he was cut down in the prime of life.

R.I.P. Tom Lantos.

RIP Rep. Lantos.

My deepest sympathies to your family.

Soon the will all be gone.

Then "Nakba" will be your child's most important history lesson.

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he was one of the few democrats who were strong supporters of israel.

tom lantos z''l 1928-2008

Thank you Charles for posting this thread.

No matter what his political views the following words should be remembered for he was a true patriot.

"It is only in the United States that a penniless survivor of the Holocaust and a fighter in the anti-Nazi underground could have received an education, raised a family and had the privilege of serving the last three decades of his life as a member of Congress," Lantos said upon announcing his retirement last month. "I will never be able to express fully my profoundly felt gratitude to this great country."

I had the occasion to meet him once and he extolled his love for this country in such a profound way I will never forget it.

I bless him too for his support of moving the US embassy in Israel to it's rightful home in Jerusalem. He spoke out often as to the bias for not moving it.

He has worked hard and with passion for the state of Israel never forgetting his roots.

May his memory be a blessing..

זכר צדיק לברכה
zekher tzadik livrakha

May the memories of
the righteous be blessed

I will miss his near spot on Dracula voice. RIP Representative Lantos.

re: #19 TimeQuake

re: #3 buzzsawmonkey

Prayers to his family.

OT Buzz...do you still feel voting for Hill in an open Primary is a good idea, with McCain a shoe in, to push Hussein out?

My Primary is tomorrow and I liked your advice but need to know with things changing as fast as they are, if you still feel the same way.

Good strategy I say. McCain will wipe the floor with Hillary. McCain vs. the Obama Christ would be tough going for McCain, and Obama would do damage in office that even Hillary hasn't imagined yet.

Rest in Peace, Tom.

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Condolences go out to his family, friends, and those who were touched by his presence.

My condolences to his family. I can only imagine the Hell on Earth this man had gone through.

re: #18 buzzsawmonkey

re: #15 mickthemickLantos could not, by himself, redeem the reputation of Hungarian Jews from where it has been placed by George Soros. But he did as much as anyone could.

George Soros does not represent Hungarian Jews to me. In fact, he does not represent any ethnicity or religion to me. I hate what Soros represents politically, but he is LLL poison, and in my book he is just one more example of the pond scum inhabiting that side of the spectrum.

Condolences to the family. I heard he had cancer, but I'd hoped for a better outcome.

Already said it on another thread, but R.I.P. Congressman Lantos (my Rep, here in North San Mateo County). The Democrats have lost one of their few Congresspeople not whoring themselves out to identity-politics pimps, Sixties survivors, and the ever-elusive "youth vote."

Rest in Peace. Life started out knocking you around, but you made the best of it. Enjoy some well-deserved rest.

Ben Hur,

Soon they will all be gone.

Then "Nakba" will be your child's most important history lesson.

That's as it should be. Unlike the "alleged" Holocaust, the Nakba actually occurred.

/I weep for the future

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re: #33 Dirk Diggler

That's as it should be. Unlike the "alleged" Holocaust, the Nakba actually occurred.

Did I miss a sarcasm tag somewhere?

You know, lizards are a classy breed. Rep. Lantos was not simply liberal, he was very liberal. Unapologetically pro-abortion, pro-gun control, pro-gay marriage...a friend of the ACLU, unions, and others of a left-wing persuasion.

Our response: Condolences.

When a conservative dies, the liberal blogs respond with glee.

It is good to have reasonable friends with whom we can disagree. Sad to say there are fewer and fewer reasonable people out there.

R.I.P. Tom Lantos.

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Hey Lizards,

I need to send a link to a friend of mine to convince her of the truth about the Valerie Plame deal. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
wild olive

re: #37 Killer Tomato

Try the bottom of the comment.

/I weep for the future

I didn't know if it was a comment or a signature line...that's why I asked instead of assuming the worst.

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Again, not fully OT

The Hidden Agenda of Judge Aharon Barak:
Despotism in the Name of Democracy*

Prof. Paul Eidelberg

At the recent Herzliya Conference, former Supreme Court president Aharon Barak warned or threatened the audience about attempts to introduce changes in the method of appointing judges of the Court—which critics have called a self-appointed oligarchy . Hence this essay .

Former U . S . ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, a brilliant lawyer, regards Judge Robert Bork as one of the finest legal minds in the United States . Judge Bork has said that Israel ’s Supreme Court is the worst in the world—and he said this while Aharon Barak was Israel ’s Supreme Court president .

In fact, eminent citizens of Israel across the political spectrum have been very critical of the Court, especially under Judge Barak . Here are the names of some of the critics: the late Chaim Herzog, former President of Israel; former Supreme Court President Moshe Landau; former Deputy President of the Court professor Menachem Elon; former Supreme Court Justice Yaakov Maltz; former Supreme Court Justice Zvi Tal; Hebrew University political scientist professor Shlomo Avineri; Attorney Yisrael Kluf, a member of the Israel Bar Association Central Committee; Hebrew University professor of law Ruth Gavison .

Most outrageous is Judge Barak’s dictum, “everything is justiciable . ” This dictum violates a basic principle of constitutional democracy—separation of powers . The judicial arrogance implicit in the dictum makes nonsense of the rule of any stable law . It endows the Court with the power to dictate the moral values of society . Barak’s power-seeking dictum is a formula for judicial despotism—and this exactly describes his many flagrant rulings which trample on the heritage of the Jewish people . And this is not all .

The influence of Judge Barak alteration of government policies endangers this country’s survival . Not only did Barak substitute his personal predilections for the laws of the Legislative branch of government . He also substituted his personal sentiments for the decisions of the Executive branch directly and immediately responsible for the security of the Nation .

Barak often makes decisions oblivious of the fact that Israel is at war with an implacable foe . Many of his decisions ignore reality, that the Palestinians, whether called terrorists or “civilians,” are committed to Israel ’s annihilation .

Untrained in military or security affairs, Judge Barak substituted his personal opinions for the professional judgment of the Israel Defense Forces on the routing of the security fence .

Untrained in military and security affairs, Barak vetoed decisions of the IDF to demolish buildings used by Arab terrorists to kill Jews .

Judicial imperialism is a menace to the Nation, and it is time to remove one’s velvet gloves when speaking of this issue . I will cite two cases mentioned in an editorial of The Jerusalem Post dated January 27, 2008 . The first involves the present Supreme Court headed by Dorit Beinish, Judge Barak’s successor and disciple .

“Border policeman Rami Zoari, 20, was murdered [on January 24] and the police woman on duty with him was seriously wounded in a shooting at a roadblock that was being manned late at night, contrary to their commander’s best judgment... . The only reason why they were there at night, according to the Israel Police-Insp . -Gen . David Cohen and Jerusalem head Comdr . Aharon Franco, was a High Court ruling that the police had no option but to obey .

(cont.)

z"l

(and the prayers start: Yisgadal v'yiskadash, sh'mei rabah . . .)

Baruch Dayan Emet

May his family be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

He was an amazing man, and may his memory be for a blessing.

The ablilty of Tom Lantos zt"l to survive the evil of *itler (may his name and memory be obliterated) transcends politics.

His memory should be for a bless to all.

He was a good man who walked through the gates of hell and lived to tell of it. He bore witness to what people can do to each other in the name of insane ideological constructs. He tried to make each day of his life an act of defiance against his would be killers and to do everything in his power to make his adopted home a better place.

He served his constituents and his nation well; he sought to make American foreign policy as moral as possible.

America will miss his voice on Capitol Hill.

(cont. from #46)

“The roadblock in question is the smaller and more vulnerable of two checkpoints into Shuafat in northern Jerusalem and is earmarked for pedestrians only . It handles less traffic than its larger neighbor 200 meters away, whose guards are protected by concrete barriers and narrow approach tracks, which make passage possible only in a single file . Without such roadblocks, assailants—such as those who perpetrated the ... attacks—would be free to enter Jerusalem and beyond . ”

The editorial states: “The police had wanted to channel all movement after sundown to the larger crossing . But the Supreme Court ... ordered the smaller access route between Shuafat and Givat Ze’ev open 24 hours a day, out of concern for the quality of life of Shuafat’s [Arab] residents .

“‘If it were up to me,’ Commander Franco declared, ‘this crossing would have remained closed, but the Supreme Court imposed its will . ’

The editorial then cites a case while Judge Barak was the Court’s president .

“In 2004 ... the [Barak] court prevented the IDF from leveling a building overlooking ... [a] junction leading to Gush Katif . That building was a sniper’s nest and launching-ground for repeated attacks on Israeli vehicles . On May 2, 2004, Fatah terrorists exited it to stop a car driven by a pregnant mother Tali Hatuel and her four young daughters . All were executed, one by one, at point-blank range ...

I now ask: Why has Hamas-dominated Gaza become a threat to the Nation? Why are children in Sderot being traumatized and mutilated by missiles launched from Gaza ? Of course one may and should denounce Israel ’s spineless government . But never forget it was Judge Barak who legitimized the IDF’s withdrawal from Gaza by ruling, contrary to objective international law, that Gaza as well as Judea and Samaria are “belligerent occupied territory . ” This is more than anti-Zionism .

Because we are at war, this is no time for treating arrogant and irresponsible judges with velvet gloves . However, since Barak’s anti-Zionism and judicial imperialism may occur in peace time, contrast the judicial self-restraint of Associate Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, an ardent Zionist . In 1936, Brandeis codified a series of rules the U . S . Supreme Court had developed for its own governance . Here are six of them:

Although I disagreed with him on nearly everything, (with the exception of national defense and the right of Jews not to be exterminated by the Religion of Peace), I found it impossible to ignore his basic decency, literacy and articulateness in a language that was not native to him.
I liked him and will miss him. R.I.P. Good Tom.

(conclusion from #50)

Rule I . The Court will not anticipate a question of constitutional law in advance of the necessity of deciding it .

Rule II . The Court will not formulate a rule of constitutional law broader than is required by the precise facts to which it is to be applied .

Rule III . The Court will not pass upon a constitutional question although properly presented by the record, if there is also present some other ground upon which the case may be disposed of .

Rule IV . The Court will not pass on the validity of a statute upon the complaint of one who fails to show that he is injured by its operation .

Rule V . The Court will not pass upon the constitutionality of a statute at the instance of one who has availed himself of its benefits .

Rule VI . When the validity of an act of Congress is drawn in question, and even if a serious doubt of constitutionality is raised, it is a cardinal principle that this Court will first ascertain whether a construction of the statute is fairly possible by which the question may be avoided .

At this point one may ask: Why doesn’t the Knesset, having the power to amend Basic Law: Judiciary, prevent the Court from usurping the Knesset’s legislative authority? Self-interest, let alone patriotism, should suffice to prevent judicial imperialism . I will offer two explanations .

Perhaps the Knesset lacks the courage to counter the Supreme Court because, as polls indicate, as much as 90 percent of the public despises the Knesset as a haven for job-seeking politicians more concerned about their own personal or partisan interests than the national interest .

Alternatively, I believe Israel has a “shadow government” with agents in and outside the Knesset . This shadow government consists of elitists who, being hostile to Judaism, want to transform Israel into “a state of its citizens,” that is, into a multicultural society to prevent the prolific religious community from gaining political ascendancy . This has been the agenda of Judge Aharon Barak, an elitist who obscures his anti-Jewish rulings in drivel about democracy .

If you see a generation which is constantly on the decline,
go and investigate the Judges of Israel .Babylonian Talmud (Shabbat 139a)

And IMHO, this applies 'worldwide', meaning that when Israel and Jewish Law fails, so does righteousness in the world....

I'll miss hearing his wonderful accent.

A wonderful example of an immigrant participating in the process and making a difference in his adopted homeland.

The Holocaust in Hungary. George Soros spent the war pretending to be a Christian and helping his "adopted" family liquidate Jewish businesses.

It has not been a good year so far for the few survivors in leadership positions. (Miles Lerman) But time marches on, and sooner rather than later all the witnesses to that atrocity will be gone. Then it will be that much easier to revise history and deny what actually happened.

To the Lantos family: May you be comforted among the mourners for Zion and Jerusalem.

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Lantos was a good man and a stalwart in the fight against tyranny, whether Nazi, communist, or Islamic.

Rest in peace.

For those who say that Lantos had a liberal voting record--which is true enough--remember that there are, and always will be, liberals in this country, who will elect people to represent them in government.

Would you rather have to deal with a liberal of the stripe of Tom Lantos, or a liberal of the Reid/Pelosi/Murtha school?

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I got confused...

#27
"I can only imagine the Hell on Earth this man has gone through."

#36
"It's good to have reasonable friends with whom we can disagree. Sad to say there are fewer and fewer reasonable people out there."

#59
"...a good man and a stallwart in the fight against tyranny, whether nazi, Communist, or Islamic"

I slipped into thinking this thread was about McCain instead of Lantos. But then, that really hasn't been the tone around here, so I should have known better..

Considering the respectful comments above re: the death of Tom Lantos, I can only imagine the petulant hate-bilge that would be gleefully spouted by the scum at HuffPO/DKOS if a long time conservative rep had passed away.

re: #63 RTLM

Considering the respectful comments above re: the death of Tom Lantos, I can only imagine the petulant hate-bilge that would be gleefully spouted by the scum at HuffPO/DKOS if a long time conservative rep had passed away.

Actually I had the same thought and just checked KOS. Not as bad as you would expect.

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I was watching some Band of Brothers chapters over the weekend. Anyone who can watch the liberation of the death camp ("Why We Fight") without tears is not human...and I'm sure what was shown in the episode isn't even close to the actual horror.

Im a liberal who likes to visit this site occasionally to mix it up with my conservative freinds here. How ever many "throw-downs" Ive had here, Ive always been treated with respect. I can see why now. Ive read all the posts here and although most of you disagree with Lanto's politics most here still saw a good man. Hell Mr Lantos was even to far left for me but he was a good man. He was my congressman and had a "home office" about 4 blocks from where I live. One time I noticed him in there so I went up to his open door and knocked and Lantos came out himself and asked if he could help me. I didn't know what to say, I had no gripes or problems. Then I said something lame like, "I just came by to check out you're diggs here". He invited me in and after introducing me to a staffer told me to have a seat in his office. Here I am, not a lobbyist, not a donar, hell I didn't even have an appointment and gabbed with him about everything except politics for around 20 mins.

He really was a goodman.

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re: #12 Silhouette

"It is only in the United States that a penniless survivor of the Holocaust and a fighter in the anti-Nazi underground could have received an education, raised a family and had the privilege of serving the last three decades of his life as a member of Congress," Lantos said upon announcing his retirement last month. "I will never be able to express fully my profoundly felt gratitude to this great country."

That evil United states keeping the poor and under privileged down because of BusCo.

/moonbat off

Oh wait. Never mind.

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I wish all Democrats were like Tom (they used to be).

From Wikipedia: "Lantos was a strong supporter of the Iraq War from the start, but from 2006 onward made increasingly critical statements about the conduct of the war, and as the chairman of the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs he held 20 oversight hearings on the war in 2007.

"Lantos was a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and has repeatedly called for reforms to the nation's health-care system, reduction of the national budget deficit and the national debt, repeal of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001, and has opposed Social Security privatization efforts. He supported same-sex marriage rights and marijuana for medical use, was a strong proponent of gun control and was adamantly pro-choice."

Salute.

re: #9 Silhouette

If the best revenge is living well, let it be known that he did not die at the hands of those that tried to kill him, but died (relatively) old, free, and actively participating in the greatest experiment in freedom the world has ever known.

Worth another read.

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G-d Bless Tom Lantos. Agree with him, disagree with him - ultimately it's just politics. There are so many more important things in life. Tom Lantos stood up to nazism and won. He went to the United States House of Representatives and represented his district with honor. That is the very best way to defeat Hitler and his supporters.

re: #73 jkpea

I knew Lantos as a lobbyist. His first words to me in the early 1970's were that my employer ( a real estate developer with land in the Santa Monica Mtns) had to make substantial contributions to the DNC to see that our ends were met. An immediate contribution of $50,000 was made. He constantly put the "bite" on us. I saw little change in him in the ensuing years.

I knew jkpea as a first time poster on LGF. His first post was in early 2008.
He distinguished himself by attacking a man who just died and that many of us admired thereby exhibiting that he truly belongs in a sewer. Hopefully, we will not see any more posts by jkpea in the future since he obviously not only lacks class but is extremely distasteful.

I have met Congressman Lantos several times. His life story is inspiring, and I can't ever eat an orange without thinking of him. (One of the first foods he got after surviving the Holocaust-he said it tasted great)

Prayers to his family on this sad day.

He loved his country, and his fellow man. I thank God that his life was spared so that he could survive and be a beacon of hope for people in similar states of distress, that he could come to another country and fight for the rights and dignity of others.

He will be a beam of light for human rights for ever.

Godspeed to him.

May his memory always be for a blessing.

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Adolf Hitler d. 4/30/1945, by his own hand : Tom Lantos d. 2/11/2008

My Mother, b. Lodz, Poland 10/19/12, leibt nach [lives still]

Salute

And it should actually be

proper use of conventions such as tags enhances communication and discourages the fallout from miscommunication.

My only defense is that I'm at the hairdresser getting blonder. Proof positive that peroxide leaches into your brain.

And hi also to buzzsawmonkey. Meant to shout out to you as well last post.

Gd rest his soul and extend comfort to his family. They should be very proud of him.

Tom Lantos was the very first politician I ever donated money to, even though he lived on the other side of the country from me. The donations weren't large, but I always got a holiday card along with a photo of him and his lovely and seemingly ever expanding family.

I believe his daughter, Swett? is her last name, ran unsuccessfully for office.

I don't agree with much of his left leaning politics and recall agreeing strongly with Charles's post "Et tu Lantos" when he joined the Pelosi dictator embracing parade, but he was a good man in a group that had quite a few bad ones so I was always happy to help.

RIP Tom.

Rest in peace, Congressman Tom Lantos.

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Good man. Lived a long and productive life. Lived through and survived true evil and spent a large part of his life serving his country. We should all remember him as one who left the world a better place for having been here. Tom Lantos, American Patriot. RIP

Sad news to hear, prayers for the family.

Ever notice how democrats die in office, they never resign, or quit due to health or family issues, or even an indictment.

Had already sent out the following to my little list of contacts:
"Mr. Lantos could be a pest (goad) to Republicans, but he was an equal opportunity pest. He was unique, and compare him to another Budapest native, George Soros. What a difference! Prayers for him would be a good idea! Mine are said."
Rest dear Mr. Lantos - you have earned it!

Lantos was a stud, he told the EU to STFU by reminding them they were more upset about Guantanamo than Auschwitz. He also was the first man to come to Condie Rice’s defense and lay hands on the code stink fool who tried to assault her with blood on her hands, well ahead of her protection detail.

I disagreed with him on a lot of political issues, but he seemed to be a decent and honorable man.
Too bad there aren't more Congresscritters like him.

There's someone who won't have a lot of explaining to do where he's going. Would that we all could say as much!

Baruch Dayan Emet - Blessed by the True Judge.
May his family be comforted w/the mourners of Zion & Jerusalem.

RIP but I won't forget his bashing of general Petraues during his congressional testimony last September. Not so cool!

Lantos supported Muslim Albanian separatists and even appealed to Jihadists to recognize America's support for an Islamic state of Kosovo.

[Link: www.serbianna.com...]