Lower the flag to half-mast -- A Great American has left this life

Ben Smith and Tom Bennett pen a keeper: "Manuel Maloof dies at age 80"

What a life!! What a legacy!! Some quotes from the ajc keeper:

-- Mr. Maloof's death marks the passing of an era in Georgia politics before elected office-seekers became pasteurized by image consultants and focus groups.

-- Known as "the godfather of the DeKalb Democratic Party," Mr. Maloof sometimes wrote personal checks to cover the party's expenses.

-- "Anybody don't like this life is crazy."

-- In 1981, on his first day as DeKalb Commission Chairman, Mr. Maloof set off the fire alarm just to see how long it would take for the fire department to get there. When he evacuated the building, he ordered county employees to get off the grass.

-- Richard Nixon's victory over George McGovern in 1972 seemed a foregone conclusion, and no DeKalb Democrat would risk running on the party ticket for a commissioner post that was up that year. Mr. Maloof talked to "about 150 people," he estimated, trying to get them to enter the race. Minutes before filing deadline, Mr. Maloof himself became a candidate. . . . Mr. Maloof lost that election, But he tried again in 1974 and won.

[Sid notes: I know the foregoing part of Georgia's proud Democratic history by heart. You can change the above references from Nixon to Isakson; McGovern to any Democrat; 1972 to 2004; no DeKalb Democrat to no Georgia household name Democrat; 150 people to about six people; minutes before filing deadline to 4:45 p.m. on Thursday after Oxford said he was out, with qualifying closing at noon the next day; and you have why Sid ran for the U.S. Senate race this year.]

-- "I have seen the word 'politician' denigrated to where a lot of people treat it as something that's pretty dirty," he said at the same public gathering. "Never in my life did I ever think like that. To have the people trust you enough to elect you to be responsible for running government to me was about the ultimate achievement that a person could have."

Sid notes: I hate to think petty thoughts at such a somber and sad time, but my resentment of Kerry going to the Varsity rather than Manuel's Tavern has been rekindled.

The CEO was not doing very well at the time to say the least, but he would have met the candidate at Manuel's in a heartbeat.

Although I know he was disappointed he was not asked, the loss was Kerry's and not the CEO's. I can forget my hoping that correcting this mistake alone would bring Kerry back to Georgia one more time.