Tom Lantos, RIP

Michael C. Moynihan | February 11, 2008

Tom Lantos, the Hungarian-born Democratic congressman, has died. Lantos was vigorous and outspoken in his opposition to communism, having seen his country savaged first by fascism (he twice escaped from Nazi forced labor camps) and then by a Soviet puppet regime, led by Hungarian quisling János Kádár. CEI's Ivan Osorio offers a tribute, with some important caveats:

While I didn't agree with him on much beside the evil of communism, I did have the pleasure of witnessing one of his last controversial episodes, during his speech at the dedication of the Victims of Communism Memorial in Washington, D.C. in June 2007, where he caused a small row with Germany when he blasted former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, calling him a "political prostitute, now that he's taking big checks from Putin," and quipped that "the sex workers in my district objected so I will no longer use that phrase." Former French President Jacques Chirac came in for some verbal abuse as well. Whatever one thinks of the Iraq War, it's always fun to watch politicians tear each other down. RIP.

A video of his controversial speech at the Victims of Communism dedication here.