Sen. Ed Mayne

Sen. Ed Mayne died this weekend, after battling cancer. Ed was a terrific person and a very skilled legislator.

Anyone who maintains that Democrats can't be successful in the Legislature (because of the Republican's supermajority), only needed to follow Ed for a day, to see that Democrats can be very successful. Ed was at the center of many good deals. In many ways, he was larger than life -- smart, loud, confident, and always a pleasure to be with. One of the joys of serving in the Legislature for me was to pay a visit to the Senate and have Senator Mayne hold forth. "Before you folks go too crazy down stairs, let me give you some advice," he'd say. And his advice was always good (though his upside to the deals was never modest). He will be sorely missed, and the Capitol will be a smaller place without him.