#1
Carl Levin
In April 2010, account executives from Goldman Sachs stood before Carl Levin, head of the subcommittee on investigations charged with probing the financial crisis.
The senator focused on one particular odorous transaction, drawing attention to a Goldman memo that bragged of a deal that was to the company’s advantage. But as Levin pointed out, it wasn’t just any deal. “It was a shitty deal.”
The hearing was live on C-Span, but Levin didn’t seem to care about his use of profanity. The more the Goldman executives offered excuses, the angrier Levin became.
That scene became a viral sensation on the Internet. It wasn’t solely because of the image of a stately, graying senator, whom Jon Stewart calls “the kindly old shoemaker,” instilled with biblical rage.
It was because Levin was doing what millions of Americans would have done themselves. He was holding the bastards—and all of their shitty deals—accountable for their actions.
The rest of the country saw firsthand what Levin’s constituency from Michigan already knew. He is one of the most respected politicians in Washington, and a bipartisan seeker of the truth.
Goldman wasn’t the first greedy corporation to feel Levin’s wrath. In 2002, the senator, chairman of the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, led a team in an investigation of Enron’s collapse.
His crusade earned him a place among Time magazine’s top 10 senators in 2006.
“Not only is he generally a straight arrow in terms of his personal interactions,” said Ken Kollman, a political science professor at the University of Michigan, “but he has worked hard to promote transparency in government operations and to fight wasteful spending, especially in the Department of Defense. One can disagree with his politics, but he is respected by his colleagues in both parties.”
Levin is chairman of the Senate Armed Forces Committee. Since 2003, he has spoken publicly against the manipulative half-truths and outright lies used to justify the invasion of Iraq, calling the Bush administration’s attempts to establish a connection between 9/11 and Saddam Hussein “deception” and “misinformation.” He has consistently battled government secrecy, working toward declassifying documents that supposedly link al-Qaeda to Saddam Hussein.
Levin has developed into one of the key—and trusted—national security experts. In 2004, Levin won the Harry S. Truman Award for his work in support of national defense. The Four Freedoms medal for his bipartisan work in foreign and military policy soon followed.
Levin has fought for American manufacturers to be given an equal playing field with their foreign counterparts—an issue that is critically important to his region. He is a member of the Senate Auto Caucus and the Great Lakes Task Force.
Levin is hugely popular in his state and has been consistently reelected by wide margins. His constituents trust him to keep shitty deals far from Michigan.
Man-to-Man with Carl Levin
Can one be both a good man and a good (i.e., effective) politician?
Absolutely. Almost all the senators I have worked with are good and honest people who are trying to do the right thing for the country. We often disagree, strongly, on what is the right thing. In fact, I’ve disagreed not only with some good senators, but some great senators!
If you were making a list of politicians that you respect for both their integrity and their dedication to the ideas they believe in, what man—from a party other than your own—would you be sure to put on the list? And why?
Senator John Warner, my former Republican colleague from Virginia, would surely be on that list. I worked for years with Senator Warner on the Armed Services Committee, and he always deeply impressed me with his honesty, his willingness to work across party lines, and his dedication to the country. Warner believes that politics stops at the water’s edge, and that it should never keep us from doing the right thing for the country’s security or for the men and women in uniform.
What has being a senator for as long as you have taught you about being a good man?
Trying to be a good senator takes up most of my time, but I’ve learned that my first priority is trying to be a good husband, a good father, a good grandfather, a good brother, and a good friend. That’s a 24-7 job.
We believe that a good man owns up to his mistakes. Tell us about a time when you fell short of “goodness,” however you define it.
One of the votes I regret that stands out in my mind is my vote against the confirmation of C. Everett Koop, a good man, as surgeon general of the United States.
The Top-10 Good Men Politicians
10) Mitch Daniels
8 ) Mark Strama
6) Jeff Flake
5) Al Franken
3) Cory Booker
2) Paul Ryan
1) Carl Levin
Maggie Thatcher is the only good politician I know of. The reason is that she is dead. Alive, she was a feminine version of Hitler only worse. Now she is were all politicians should be, in hell.
They promise us a better world yet when they are elected they turn their backs on us and sell out to the ruling people with power. It will never change unless we start to fight for what is rite instead of just letting it happen and hope it will be better tomorrow.
You left off the two Oregon Senators and the congressman from Seattle Jim McDermott.
Look up quotes of Boris Johnson. He is better than all of these.
Why the HELL is Ron Paul not on this list? You ppl r crazy!! He should be at the TOP!!
Paul Ryan’s “Roadmap” is a trumped-up plan to facilitate further corporate take-over. When all is said and done, we can vote who gets put in power in the government. We can’t vote on CEOs. I would rather pay my taxes to the government with all its flaws (and even corporate influences) than give more power to big money. And what is with Flake? I am so glad to see someone speaking up about the earmarks, but I think his politicizing of the funding of scientific research mars that. Now we need someone more vocal in defense of honest science than… Read more »
I actually got excited about his website, until I saw Paul Ryan on this list. This is a joke, isn’t it? Paul Ryan? this guy doesn’t have one ounce of integrity in his whole body. Paul Ryan is, excuse my language, the biggest corporate prostitute that has ever existed. He is a complete sold out. He gets his marching orders from the Koch brothers, and those orders are all about destroying the fabric of this great nation: the middle class. Guess what, no middle class = No Democracy. How can you put someone on this list who champions tyranny? You… Read more »
This list is baffling in its inconsistency.
Part of being a good man is showing self-awareness, and the fortitude to live according to one’s convictions – regardless of personal difficulty. Paul Ryan fails this test.
Ryan rose to his current position thanks to the welfare state; specifically Social Security, upon which he attended college.
He advocates for the others an Ayn Rand-inspired level of self-sufficiency, the dismantling of this social safety net.
IOTW: “I got mine – f*ck you”.
This list is now painfully dated, with the revelation about Ryan’s taste in wine and drinking buddies.
How you missed Ron Paul, the most consistent, principled and honest politician of his era, or arguably of any era is beyond me.
Think what you will of his politics, but his candor, his respectful dialogue and his refusal to bend to the powers that be in the name of liberty are second to none.
Interesting that the two single politicians who prohibit the initiation of force and fraud in their politics are absent from the list. From the time of Confucius, all societies have followed this “golden rule”, (outside of government), until their governments based on force and fraud have destroyed the society, usually by murdering millions of innocent civilians in conquest or democide. Jeff Flake, one of the better people on your list, supported protectionist legislation that put non-cartel dairy farmers out of business. All the other politicians are even worse than he is. Russ Feingold, for instance, pushed through “McCain-Feingold”, legislation that… Read more »
Ryan is about where he belongs though #1 would be a better ranking. I see a bunch of tantrum tossing towards Ryan for his stance on gay marriage. And most of it is phony outrage because the same people give Carl Levin a pass regarding his wishy washy stance on repealing DADT. more selective outrage from the professional leftists.
Folks, turn that anger to solving the problem. Too many of our politicians should go home.
How can we limit their terms of service to 2, but not more than 3 terms in office? This needs to be done for the good of this country.
We support their behavior by letting them stay in office. They are not entitled to a government seat for life.
3 times this screen has changed and lost my words——I agree w/Willl 100% read The Powell Memo
Carl Paladino is a “Good Man”
senator bernie sanders is without question the best person in our government today. i wouldn’t feel that i’m overestimating at all in saying that 99% of those in congress are corporate controlled stooges, and bernie is most certainly not. i am also surprised to not see senator russ feingold, the only senator to not vote for the patriot act – in doing so being alone in standing up for our civil liberties – in 2002.
I think the list would make much more sense if you explained why you included these people on the list – each individually, not as a whole – then one cold see the reasoning in it. I would like to read your response, Senator Sanders. Thank-you.
Why not Dennis Kucinich? I am suprised, also.
kucinich sold out true progressives by compromising and going back on his word by signing that atrocity of a health care “reform”.
I love what you’re doing, and needless to say, as a Vermonter I like the Bernie choice. For future consideration, take a look at our current governor, Jim Douglas, who despite being a Republican – is a good man. But my main point……….. you are totally out of your tiny liberal mind to not include our president on your list. I won’t even bother to enumerate, you must have a brain somewhere in there.
No Dennis Kucinich? One of the few who is unbiased…and does not need a speechwriter because he speaks from the heart!
With some of your pollsters, I am surprised Bush/Cheney et al are not on te list!
Where is Dennis Kucinich?
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?????!!!!! I can’t imagine what your criteria could be but as a citizen in Jeff Flake’s district I can tell you that he DOES NOT meet my definition of a good man. This man could not care less about his district! In the time I’ve lived in AZ I’ve never heard from him, despite my repeatedly contacting his office. When I complained to his office that he never acknowledges my comments I got a form letter. He has done nothing, and I mean NOTHING for this district. He serves only his corporate overlords. He is in every… Read more »
I was about to leave the same post almost word for word! I live in his district and he only serves one thing… his agenda and his religious beliefs…
I’m shocked – in fact I laughed out loud when I saw his name on this list!!
Dennis Kucinich – Good Guy
Goodmen Project:
put me on local fox about the growing problem of gender bias in the courts, children are being hurt an destroyed because the system wont listen to good men and women are over protected ….
How can Paul Ryan possibly be considered a Good Man when he actively encourages prejudice against gay men and women? He cares not for anyone who is not an extreme right wing evangelical Christian and the right of corporations over the good of his fellowman. By no definition, is this man a Good Man.
nonsense
I’m glad someone thinks as highly of Carl Levin as I do. I am proud of my Michigan senators. They have consistently shown themselves to be team players, not trying to screw over others for their own benefit.
Carl Levin fights for what he believes is right and practicable, and that’s what I want in a representative. He also gives a very well reasoned speech. It’s nice (and a very odd feeling) to have someone Michigan can be proud of.
Including Al Franken on this list pretty much invalidates the rest of the list as Al fails miserably at most of the criteria. Far from being respectful and trying to work with his political opposites, he belittles them every time he is left in charge of the house. Being from Michigan, I concur with putting Carl Levin on top of the list for being a good man. However, he has a completely undistinguished legislative record and basically has taken up space for several decades. Additionally, Michigan has been on of the top 2 tax donor states during Carl’s entire tenure… Read more »