Mar 13, 2007 -- Departure of Rep. Marty Meehan: Statement of Meredith McGehee, Campaign Legal Center Policy Director

When recalling the record of Representative Marty Meehan (D-MA) the first word that comes to mind is "courage." From the moment he arrived on Capitol Hill he was willing to take on the powers that be and to champion causes and issues that many of his colleagues shied away from because they were unpopular with leadership - that was never Marty's measure.

In taking on campaign finance reform and leading the fight to pass the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, Marty Meehan put his commitment to democratic ideals before party loyalty, personal advancement, or political expediency.

Both Democrats and Republicans felt their feet held to the fire by Marty Meehan urging them to do the right thing rather than the easy thing. His steadying presence will be sorely missed in the ongoing fight to reign in the abuses that undermine the nation's democratic process.

While we are sorry to lose his tireless leadership in Congress we know that the University of Massachusetts at Lowell is gaining a man of integrity and a battle-tested leader. It should come as a surprise to no one that Marty Meehan is leaving Congress not for K Street but to continue his public service.

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