CHICAGO - Dan Rostenkowski was always known simply as "Mr. Chairman," even years after his spectacular rise from Chicago ward boss to one of the nation's most powerful political leaders ended in a colossal fall amid corruption charges.
His command of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee made him a key player in Washington, but at home he was most celebrated for using that influence to steer billions of dollars in federal aid to build Chicago.
Rostenkowski, 82, who was suffering from cancer, died Wednesday at his Wisconsin summer home near Benedict Lake, members of Illinois' congressional delegation confirmed.
Rostenkowski, a Democrat, thrived during an era in Washington when hardball politics was tempered by compromise. During his 36-year tenure in Congress he relished his role as a dealmaker with the likes of Democratic Speaker Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill and Republican Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.
People are also reading…
But he became a political anachronism, losing his House seat just months after being indicted on federal charges of accepting kickbacks and diverting taxpayer dollars for personal use.
He served 15 months in prison after pleading guilty to mail fraud, a conviction wiped out with a pardon issued by President Bill Clinton.
Ironically, a successor to Rostenkowski's congressional seat, disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, now awaits a jury verdict on federal charges of trying to use his state office for personal and political gain. And a successor to Rostenkowski as chairman of Ways and Means, Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., recently stepped aside amid an upcoming House ethics trial over alleged fundraising improprieties.
After his release from prison, Rostenkowski enjoyed a renaissance of sorts, becoming a local political commentator on television, working as a consultant, and enjoying storytelling sessions over dinner until cancer led him to spend most of his recent months at his summer home across the Wisconsin border.
On Wednesday, it was his political legacy to the city and to the nation that friends and political allies chose to remember.
"He was one of the most effective leaders in Washington in the 20th century," said Mayor Richard M. Daley. "Say a prayer for him, because he loved Chicago and he loved cities. He worked very hard on behalf of cities in America."
The first President Bush issued a statement calling Rostenkowski "a forceful leader who was also exceptionally fair. Everyone in the Congress respected him."
