NV Former Sen. Hecht has Died. (Sen Kerry once saved his life.)

Hecht, former U.S. senator, dies in LV


May 16, 2006
Page: 6A
Section: A
Author: Ed Vogel

By ED VOGEL

REVIEW-JOURNAL

Former U.S. Sen. Chic Hecht, a Las Vegas ladies’ clothing store owner whose congenial personality propelled him to a 1982 Senate victory in perhaps the biggest political upset in Nevada history, died Monday afternoon from prostate cancer complications. He was 77.

Hecht had been hospitalized at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center for nearly three weeks. For much of that time, his wife, Gail, and daughters Leslie and Lori were at his side.

SNIP

Hecht made similar comments on July 12, 1988, after Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., saved his life by performing the Heimlich maneuver to dislodge a slice of apple stuck in his throat.

He had been eating in a Senate lunch room and stumbled into the hallway gasping for air when Kerry stepped off an elevator and immediately saw he could not breathe.

“This says something about America,” Hecht said. “That’s the difference between America and another country. He’s targeted me as the No. 1 (to defeat), yet he saves my life.”

Every year Hecht would call Kerry on the anniversary of that incident and thank him for saving his life. He also contributed $2,000 to Kerry’s unsuccessful candidacy for the presidency in 2004.

the incident where Senator Kerry saved Senator Hecht's life. He said that Hect also called John Kerry every Christmas to say "thank you" to him even though Hecht was Jewish and didn't celebrate the holiday.

It surprised me to hear this brought up by Harry Reid.

I am glad that he got an additional eighteen years of life that he may not have gotten had Kerry not saved his. That's true point about America though that the best of us don't let our political differences get in the way of things like that.

but that's a really nice story. I love that he called him every year on the anniversary.

That's a lesson that I think we can all learn from.

Oh how I would like to see that. I mean this is why I hope Kerry can be president, I truly do feel he can heal some of the division that our country has been going through.

for years and how they effect their region's governments, he would call all their leaders together for an international summit where they could come together with an agenda to work towards common goals against violence interpretation of their faith and promote peace amongst their factions.

The man really does have an immense understanding of the world's religions, cultures, etc. I sincerely think if he were president our nation would move forward in so many ways. I thought his goal for a summitt of the Sunnis, Shittes, Kurds, etc was a great one because it would help. I got a little background now in communication and dialog really does go a long way for helping heal tensions.

that there is more of that then it appears. Many of my friends who work on Capitol Hill work for Republicans and they don't hate Democrats .... neither do most of the members. The Bush administration has insisted on "loyalty" which they consider never, ever diagreeing with them. And then there's former leader DeLay, who couldn't be a nastier person. Unfortunately those that are power hungry have ruined for all the people that aren't (including the American public).

I was an intern at a congresswoman's office last year during my senior year of high school. The problem with American politics to me is that there are people on both sides who relish in the division our country has gone through during Bush's presidency. We can disagree and be disgusted by Bush's policies without saying that he's Adolf Hitler II and they can do that to ours with out calling us Communists. I love a good and healthy debate, I hate some lsat year in poli sci but honestly it was too slanted in favor of Democrats. The real solutions to the nations' problems aren't per say liberal or conserivatve but what works out for all of us. I think that we are all friends after 4 thing applied more easier back in the Cold War and WWII becuase of a common and more greater enemy. I've taken an International Relations coures and as great as the breakup of the USSR was it also made things complicated.

Sen. Hecht
RIP


My prayers go out to his family.