Henry Hyde; May he rest in peace

Nov. 29, 2007 (CWNews.com) - Henry Hyde was a big man, in every meaning of that term.

As a college basketball player, Hyde once guarded George Mikan in a tournament game won by Hyde's Georgetown team. Mikan went on to set the standard by which every "big man" is measured in professional basketball. Hyde set a similar standard for pro-life legislators.

It was in 1976, during his first term in the US Congress, that the Illinois Republican introduced the legislation now known as the "Hyde Amendment," forbidding taxpayer subsidies for abortion. For 30 more years after that success he was the most visible, tireless, and effective pro-lifer in Congress. Blessed with natural eloquence and a quick wit, he could speak with passion and still maintain a cool command of the facts. I know from experience how difficult it was to write a good speech for Henry Hyde; his off-the-cuff remarks were usually more memorable than the prepared text....

Phil Lawler has an excellent commentary on this great man...here.

May our Lord Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word of God, say to him, "Today, thou shalt be with Me in paradise."