Former Rep. Ike Skelton (D-MO) dead at 81

[Tx4obama]

Source: The AP

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Former Democratic Rep. Ike Skelton, who built a reputation as a military expert and social conservative during 34 years representing western and central Missouri in the U.S. House, died Monday in Virginia. He was 81.

Skelton died at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, Va., surrounded by his wife, his sons and their families as well as longtime colleague Russell Orban, who confirmed the death. The cause was not immediately released, but Orban said Skelton entered the hospital a week earlier with a bad cough.

A former prosecutor in his native Lexington, Mo., Skelton joined the national Kansas City-based law firm of Husch Blackwell following his 2010 defeat in Missouri's 4th Congressional District by Republican Vicky Hartzler, a state lawmaker who had strong tea party backing.

Skelton worked for the firm in both Kansas City and Washington, D.C., and maintained homes in Lexington and the Washington suburb of McLean, Va.

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/former-rep-ike-skelton-dead-81

[hrmjustin]

1. RIP!

[liberal N proud]

2. RIP

[warrior1]

3. Rest in peace

[lancer78]

4. RIP

I got to interview with his team that recommended service academy applicants. I was honored to receive his nomination for the US Naval and Merchant Marine Academies.

[Tx4obama]

5. R.I.P.

[Kaleva]

6. R.I.P.

[lastlib]

7. My Congressman for many years. I campaigned for him a couple times.

Can't say I always agreed with him, but always respected him. Can't say the same for his POS Teabagger replacement.

Requiescat In Pace, Mr. Skelton! I miss you!

[alp227]

8. KC Star obituary:

Ike Skelton, longtime Missouri congressman, dies

Lexington was Skelton’s hometown. He was first elected prosecutor in Lafayette County and served in the Missouri Senate before going to Washington in 1976, the year Jimmy Carter took the White House.

Skelton represented Missouri’s 4th Congressional District in the western and central part of the state. He easily kept his seat for 17 election cycles in a district and state that increasingly trended Republican.

Skelton was a pro-gun, anti-abortion Democrat who voted against the Affordable Care Act.

He was defeated in 2010 by Republican state lawmaker Vicky Hartzler, who had strong tea party backing.

“Ike exuded civility,” said Richard Martin, a long-time Democratic consultant. “He had great friends on both sides of the aisle. All the Democrats I ever met looked up to him despite their differences they often had with him on issues, and Republicans as well.

“He was a statesman -- not a highly charismatic guy. He didn’t aspire to run for higher office. Once he was elected to the Congress and assigned to the Armed Services Committee, I think he knew that was his calling, and he was going to make the most of it.”

[Ranchemp.]

9. RIP Ike Skelton.

I may not have always agreed with you, but you always had my deepest respect.
Cross gently sir.

[MADem]

10. He was Chair or Ranking on the HASC for eons. His kid, I see, is STILL in the Navy.

He's done well as a PAO...

RIP, Ike, fair winds and all that.

[freebrew]

11. He was my congressman, until Hartzler

I gotta say he was a DINO, as far as I was concerned.

He rarely voted with the Dems in congress, voted to give * authority to invade Iraq.

Voted for the Patriot Act.

I honestly don't know how much time and paper I wasted on this guy.

I pleaded with the local Dems to find ANYONE to run against him against Hartzler.

And there's a Skelton running for something now as an R.

So, RIP Ike, but don't make him a hero.