Re: Using John Lewis's legacy to shame people into doing the right thing, it's a tried and true tactic. It works, because it should work. We are all in his debt.

Quick story --

1/

Rep. Lewis and my boss introduced a bill in the 104th Congress to make designate 54-mile stretch of highway between Selma and Montgomery (the route for three historic civil rights marches) a national historic trail.

It was in our district but of course it was Lewis's baby.

2/

Republicans of course didn't want to do it.

They said it didn't fit the traditional criteria for a national historic trail. Which is true, but we said "Who cares?"

They also didn't want to fund it.

3/

So we had a hearing and John Lewis was scheduled to testify.

We blew up those iconic Spider Martin Life magazine photos of Lewis lying on the ground bleeding, put them on easels behind him and made everyone look at them while he spoke.

We got our funding.

4/4

P.S. Yesterday my friend who works for Ways and Means posted a story about her stomach growling before a markup. John Lewis heard it and asked if she ate breakfast. She said no. 10 minutes later he came back with a pack of donuts from his own lunch and made her eat them.