UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE CHARLIE WILSON, R.I.P.

Update, 4:47 p.m. :In December congressional hearings, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., invoked Wilson's name in urging the U.S. to make a long-term commitment to Afghanistan. Wilson argued, in the Charlie Rose interview and elsewhere, that by walking away from Afghanistan when the war ended in 1989, the USA created a power vacuum that the Taliban occupied. He told Rose that simple (and relatively cheap) efforts to raise living standards would have been enough to keep the future terrorists at bay.

We only know of United States Congressman Charlie Wilson from a most enjoyable evening of watching the film, Charlie Wilson's War and some very limited research.

We understand that the movie and the book are largely true.

We believe that Representative Wilson was a fascinating individual and a true patriot.

We believe there is evidence that his personal and professional codes of conduct have enough good in them to outweigh any negatives.

We say thank you, Representative Wilson, for what you have done to make our country safer and our political life interesting.

One early news item is below.

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2010/02/former-texas-congressman-charlie-wilson-dies-/1