RIP Charlie Wilson

It's shame to break the bad news that former Texas congressman, Charlie Wilson passed away today at age 76. He was an American hero that was a progressive when it came to domestic issues but was a total hawk when it came to foreign policy issues. He was the leading voice to reach out to support the Afghan forces that were fighting the invading Soviet army in the 1980's. Wilson along with the help of the CIA, lobbied Congress to finance and also supply arms to the struggling people of Afghanistan. In 1989, Soviet forces left Afghanistan in defeat. Wilson was then viewed as a hero by many but his personal life was a mess due to his drinking and womanizing. It was also well-known that he used cocaine while serving in Congress but was never in any real trouble because of it. He always kept a staff full of beautiful young women working in his office and was known to drink during office hours. His life story was first published in the book Charlie Wilson's War which was then adapted into a movie starring Tom Hanks.

Some critics point their finger at Wilson's involvement during the Afghan conflict which then resulted in the rise of the Taliban by then providing shelter to Osama Bin Laden and his followers that set the stage for the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks. Wilson himself called for aid to help the Afghans after the Soviet war but failed to get support. He then spent the remainder of his life discussing the difficulty of the war.

Wilson will be remembered by all as a colorful character and a patriotic American.