Walter Mondale has shuffled off this mortal coil. Minnesota's attorney general and, later, one of its senators, "Fritz" next served four years as Jimmy Carter's vice president. As the Democrats' standard-bearer in 1984, he was trounced by Ronald Reagan. But Mondale broke new ground by selecting a woman -- Rep. Geraldine Ferraro -- as his running mate, a template John McCain and Joe Biden would follow.
A man whose great decency always shone through, Walter F. Mondale sent his staff a farewell letter ahead of his death. True to form, it was really a thank-you note. "Before I Go I wanted to let you know how much you mean to me," he wrote. "Never has a public servant had a better group of people working at their side! … I always knew it would be okay if I arrived some place and was greeted by one of you!"
Rest in peace, Walter.
Carl M. Cannon is the Washington bureau chief for RealClearPolitics. Reach him on Twitter @CarlCannon.