Other than the Sheriff, who lived across the street from me, Bill Proxmire was the first politician I ever met. He really seemed to care for the people he served, and you'd see him in normal places like coffee shops. I think the first place I saw him was in a Big Boy restaurant in Milwaukee, when I was in high school. I admired his work as a senator, although I sometimes found I disagreed with his "Golden Fleece" selections - sometimes, he picked on grants for basic research that really did have a practical purpose.

-Joe Offer-