Jack Lessenberry of Michigan Radio has a commentary this week that questions whether Congressman Sandy Levin, 81, should be preparing to step down.
In a breakfast meeting with the Royal Oak Democrat, who represents most of Macomb County, Lessenberry found that Levin still has a feisty side that rarely shows itself when he speaks to the public. But Lessenberry also lays out the reasons why some think Levin’s time has past:
“Sandy Levin was first elected to the state senate when his party’s current leader, President Obama was three years old. Rick Snyder was in grade school when Levin lost a race for governor in this state that was so close and so controversial there are still people today who feel he was robbed.
“… Sandy Levin turned 81 last September. The last few years haven’t been easy. His beloved wife Vicky died after a long struggle with cancer four years ago.
Three years ago, Levin became at last chair of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, but lost that job when Democrats lost control of the house eight months later. A year ago, when Michigan had to give up a seat in Congress, there were those who wondered if he should stay on, whether he had the drive and desire anymore.”
Obviously you have never walked in a parade with him. He may be 81 but he left me in the dust on July 4th and THEN he walked two more parades on a 100 degree day. Drive? Desire? One would think he wouldn't bother with three parades in one day if he didn't have either or both of those things. He works harder than anyone I know and cares about the district he represents. Is he the same person he was thirty years ago? Of course not and it would probably be a bad thing if he was, just as it would be a bad thing if ANY of us kept the same outlook and perspective that we had thirty years ago.
Do not mistake calm assurance with a lack of drive and desire. I actually made that mistake during this past election cycle when I began volunteering for his campaign. I thought he needed to turn up the intensity but he knew exactly what he needed to do to win handily. Why expend more energy and money than necessary? We would do well to have MORE people like him in Congress.
Sander Levin needed to leave Congress when he found himself supporting so-called free trade agreements without any work to determine the effects on blur collar workers. NAFTA, CAFTA and the rest were devastating on manufacturing jobs in Michigan. Finally now Levin admits it.
I'm happy he can still jump from one parade to the next, but so what?