Colleagues praise former leader as a man who was genuine

December 10, 2003

By BERNARD SCHOENBURG
of Copley News Service

SPRINGFIELD - A remarkable individual. A true leader. A distinguished statesman. A man of his word. A mentor. A friend.

The accolades for former U.S. Sen. Paul Simon came Tuesday from colleagues, former staffers, Democrats and Republicans, Chicagoans and downstaters, members of Congress. All expressed sorrow at the death, at age 75, of the man whose trademarks were bow ties and integrity.

"Paul Simon leaves a rich legacy," Gov. Rod Blagojevich said. "It's a legacy of service, integrity and of high ideals."

Ethics reform legislation Blagojevich signed Tuesday in Chicago - before word of Simon's passing - was inspired by Simon, the governor said, and now "marks a fitting tribute."

U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood, R-Peoria, who served two years in Congress before Simon left the Senate in 1997, praised him for reaching across party boundaries to achieve common goals.

"His bipartisan approach to being a member of Congress certainly made an impression on me, and I counted Paul as a true friend," LaHood said. "Because of his demeanor and work ethic, Paul was respected by people on both sides of the aisle and he will be missed by all Illinoisans."

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., met Simon during a campaign for the late Sen. Paul Douglas in 1966.

"How could this man with the horn-rimmed glasses and the bow ties and the rumpled suits and the manual typewriter capture our hearts?" Durbin said. "But he did. We knew he was genuine."

Durbin, who worked for Simon, said Simon memorized which gas stations downstate had outdoor soft-drink machines, "so even at 10 o'clock at night he could pick up his Pepsi."

The harshest words he ever heard Simon say were "by George," Durbin said. "I just can't believe I'm going to wake up tomorrow and I can't call him."

In a speech on the Senate floor Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Peter Fitzgerald, R-Ill., said bow ties "almost became a symbol of ethics and integrity in the state of Illinois because of Sen. Simon. He was a remarkable, remarkable man."

U.S. Rep. Lane Evans, D-Rock Island, who served with Simon in Congress, called him "a great friend and mentor."

"His reputation for honesty and integrity will always be remembered. His lifetime of service and his accomplishments are an important chapter in our history," Evans said.

Former GOP Gov. Jim Edgar, who visited Simon in the hospital Friday, was a legislative intern in 1969 when he met Simon, who had just become lieutenant governor.

"He wasn't phony when you talked to him," Edgar said. "I never heard him say anything bad about anybody, and I never heard anybody say anything bad about him. That's very unusual in this business."

From the hospital where he was undergoing tests last week, Simon spoke by telephone with reporters to announce his endorsement of Howard Dean for president. On Tuesday, Dean called Simon "a tireless champion of the least fortunate members of our society."

Another Democratic presidential candidate, former U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley Braun, who served with Simon in the Senate from Illinois, called him "a dear personal friend" and "a giant figure in Illinois."

U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass, said Simon had been "the conscience of the Senate."

"In another era, he would have been a founding father," Kennedy said.

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley called Simon "a remarkably thoughtful politician who was as comfortable in the world of ideas as he was in precinct-level politics. He paid close attention to local and state issues, but also immersed himself in global problems, such as world hunger, which don't always translate into votes back home."

Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, said: "All of us would do well to honor his memory by striving to live our lives with his as our model."

After word of Simon's death, Springfield Mayor Tim Davlin ordered flags on city buildings to be flown at half-staff.

Simon was director of the Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University, an institute he started after serving two six-year terms in the U.S. Senate. Mike Lawrence, who had been a top Edgar aide, joined Simon in Carbondale as associate director of the institute.

"I often joked with him that he was the youngest man I know," Lawrence said. "He never stopped trying to make a positive difference."

Joe Dunn, executive director of the Illinois Coalition for Community Services and who worked for Simon for 15 years, recalled the senator's actions at a festival in Hillsboro. Many politicians were vying for Simon's attention, Dunn said, but Simon instead went to a boy of 6 or 7 who had glasses and whose parents operated a Ferris wheel.

"He patted that little boy on the head and said, 'You know, with those glasses, you'd better be careful. You might end up being a United States senator.' … That was just typical of what Paul did."

Copley News Service reporters Adriana Colindres, Doug Finke, Dori Meinert and Mike Ramsey contributed to this report.