He's just a decent person, Democratic Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, who is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, stated in 2008. Hes unpretentious, unassuming. He doesn't forget that the lives of those he represents are intertwined with what he is doing.Washington insider, Levin was a former prosecutor who is well-known for his professorial bearing. He took a civil yet straightforward approach which allowed him to effectively work with Republicans and other Democrats. His years of service as the Senate Armed Services Committee's top Democrat made him a skilled defense expert.He didn't hesitate to speak his mind.Even among his Democratic Senate peers, he was in the minority when he voted against sending U.S. soldiers to Iraq in 2002. Two years later, he stated that President George W. Bush's administration had written the book about how to manage a war. However, he later warned of the dangers of Democratic support beginning to wane.He also criticized President Ronald Reagan's accumulation of nuclear weapons at the cost of conventional weapons that were necessary to maintain military readiness.However, his colleagues stated that he almost always generated a sense of respect.The late Senator John Warner, a Republican, said that we have always had a trusting and respectful relationship. He worked with Levin for many years on the Armed Services Committee. We don't try to surprise each other. First, the security of the nation is paramount. Second, the welfare of our armed forces must be prioritized.Levin is well-known for his habit of wearing his glasses down to his nose. He was always candid and hardworking, no matter where he went: Capitol Hill, overseas fact-finding missions, or lost in the college football stadium crowd on game day.Carl Levin is not accused of looking like the Hollywood version of the U.S. Senator. Time magazine wrote that he is pudgy and balding, with occasional rumpled features. Time magazine also stated in a 2006 article that he wore his glasses at his nose tip. Time magazine ranked him among the best senators in the country. Despite his partisanship, the Michigan Democrat is still respected by both parties for his deep knowledge and attention to detail, particularly in his role of a vigilant watchdog of federal agencies and businesses.Levin, a skeptic of fraud and waste was the one who led an investigation into Enron Corp. in 2002. The company had declared bankruptcy last year after financial scandals. A new federal law was created by the investigation that required executives to sign financial statements. This could make them criminally liable for posing phony numbers.Levin was a proponent of legislation to combat offshore tax havens. He claimed that this cost the U.S. at least $100 billion per year in lost taxes. He was also a proponent for stem cell research, and gun control.Levin was closer to home and he supported policies that benefit the auto industry. He also supported loan guarantees of $25 billion to General Motors (GM) and Chrysler. He believed that the Great Recession was only possible if there is a strong domestic auto industry. He was also a member of a taskforce supporting environmental issues and fighting pollution in the Great Lakes.Obama stated in 2013 that if you have ever worn a uniform, worked on an assembly line shift, or made sacrifices to make ends meet, you can vote for Sen. Carl Levin. Obama said that no one has done more to bring back manufacturing jobs to the United States, close tax loopholes, and ensure everyone follows the same rules.Carl Milton Levin was born June 28, 1934 in Detroit and lived there for the majority of his adult life. He worked as a driver for taxis and in an auto assembly plant line to pay his way through high school.He was proud to have built the Ford and DeSoto trucks at Highland Park's plant. For decades, he kept his United Auto Workers membership card. His wallet was stolen and that ended his life.In 1956, he earned a bachelor's degree in political sciences from Swarthmore College and in 1959, a Harvard law degree. Two years later, he married Barbara and they had three children together.Levin was a strong believer in civic duty and was appointed as an assistant state attorney General in 1964. He also became the first general counsel of the Michigan Civil Rights Commission. His brother Sander Sandy Levin (former U.S. Rep.) was a long-standing liberal voter. Their father served as the Michigan Corrections Commission's citizen group, which oversees prison operations. And their mother volunteered to be a Jewish organization.Carl Levin once stated that public service was part of his DNA. Politics were often discussed at the dinner table as a boy by him.When Detroit voters elected him to City Council in 1969, he took up public office. He served as the council's president until he defeated a Republican to win 1978 Senate race. He was elected to the seat five times more, but he decided not to run for a seventh term in 2014.The Levin Center at Wayne State University's law school was founded after his retirement to encourage fact-based, bipartisan oversight of Congress and state legislatures, and civil dialogue on issues related to public policy. He was the chair of the center and taught law courses. He was also a partner in the Detroit Honigman law office as distinguished counsel.In March, his memoir, Getting at the Heart of the Matter, My 36 Years in the Senate was published. To honor his public service, the Navy named a destroyer after him.His nephew Andy Levin was reelected to the 9th Congressional District seat of his father, which represents parts suburban Detroit.Carl Levin's wife, three of their adult daughters, Kate, Laura, and Erica, as well as several grandchildren, are his survivors.
