I’ll be spending most of the day on Sunday flying back to the United States after a couple of eye-opening weeks in Asia.
But a hat tip to the 99-year old Michael DeBakey who just passed away and who did change the world with his pioneering work on heart transplants and bypass operations. I had the honor of meeting him about 24 years ago.
And while I did not agree with his politics, I did admire Tony Snow for the way in which he managed his personal and family obligations during his battle with colon cancer. Snow and many others helped this White House irresponsibly spin itself out of accountability for its actions at home and abroad.
Snow’s death should be a reminder not of just how brave he was in managing his health challenge — but of how many others in the nation who don’t rank in the headlines are brave and deserve our respect and support for managing family health crises, job fragility, the return of maimed veterans or the death of soldiers caught in the war in Iraq, and so on.
Be back in touch on Sunday evening.
— Steve Clemons
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