Washington, D.C. — Center for American Progress Chair John Podesta issued the following statement on Common Cause President Bob Edgar’s passing:
I am deeply saddened by the news that Bob Edgar passed away yesterday. Bob was a dear, thoughtful, and warm-hearted friend to me and to the many others whose lives he touched during his decades of public service.
Through his six terms as a member of the Pennsylvania delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives, through his time as general secretary of the National Council of Churches, and most recently through his stewardship of Common Cause, Bob had one refrain: “We are the leaders we have been waiting for.” For Bob, every minute of every day was a chance to fight for social justice, for the principles of democracy, and especially on behalf of the poorest and voiceless among us.
I and everyone at the Center for American Progress and across the progressive community will miss Bob terribly. But we can take heart that, to the end, he passionately and compassionately worked for the public good. We should all strive to live by his example.
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