TWD Condolences For 2/10/10: Charlie Wilson Has Passed At 76

Just two days after the passing of John Murtha, another well known Democratic figure has passed away. That person is one Charlie Wilson.

Wilson was 76

A hopsital spokeswoman in Lufkin says Wilson died Wednesday of cardiopulmonary arrest.

Wilson represented the 2nd district in East Texas in the U.S. House from 1973 to 1996. He was the subject of the movie starring Tom Hanks in 2007.

The film was about Wilson's efforts to arm Afghani mujahedeen during their war against the Soviet Union. Wilson, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, helped secure money for weapons.

Wilson was known as "Good Time Charlie" when he was in Washington.

TPM's Christina Bellantoni documents how Wilson felt about the need to withdraw from Afghanistan

It's not quite the "bombshell" that Buzzflash calls it, but former Rep. Charlie Wilson opined on Afghanistan in an interview with the Scranton Times.

Wilson (D-TX), whose role in the covert operation in Afghanistan later inspired the film "Charlie Wilson's War," said he thinks President Obama is in a "very tough situation" when making his decision on whether to send more troops.

"It's probably best to make a calculated withdrawal. ...If I were the president, I'm not sure what I'd do. I'd probably shut it down, rather than lose a lot of soldiers and treasure," Wilson, now 76, told the newspaper in advance of an event Thursday at the Scranton Cultural Center.

Much blessings towards the family and friends of Mr. Wilson.