Rep. Charlie Norwood has died.

[Kevin]

WASHINGTON - Georgia Republican Congressman Charlie Norwood has died after battling cancer and lung disease.

He was 65.

Norwood's death comes a week after he returned home to begin hospice care for metastatic lung cancer, which had spread to his liver.

At that time, Norwood's spokesman, John Stone, said the seven-term Republican was not yet resigning from Congress but had decided to go home to Augusta, Ga., to be with his family and "put it in the Lord's hands."

"He has spent three months just sick as a dog and finally just said, 'That's it. I'm going home,'" Stone said. The goal, Stone said, was to make Norwood as comfortable as he can be, "for as long as the Lord will let him stay with us, and nobody knows how long that will be."

He won his seventh term in November with almost 70 percent of the vote.

Democratic House leaders made the announcement during a news conference on the resolution against the president's troop buildup in Iraq.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer called Norwood "an honest, hardworking gentleman of conscience."

Norwood won two Bronze Stars as a combat dentist in the Vietnam War.

There was a brief moment of silence on the House floor after Norwood's death was announced there.

Norwood received a lung transplant in 2004 and suffered from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a chronic lung disease.

Last year, doctors discovered a small cancerous tumor on his nontransplanted lung. They removed the cancer with surgery but then discovered more on his liver when Norwood returned to Washington after his November re-election.

Norwood, a folksy dentist, never held public office before winning a seat in Congress in 1994.

Democrats have a 233-202 majority in the House, so Norwood's loss will not have a significant effect on the balance of power.

In his State of the Union address last month, President Bush wished Norwood a speedy recovery.

It's a shame, He was a good man.

[Alcon]

Already posted, but sad.

[Kevin]

Already posted, but sad.

Sorry, I didn't see that it was already posted.

[Gabu]

The sad part, really, was that the guy was relatively young.  I usually don't mourn too much if some guy who was 85 or so died, because the person had had a good, full life, but 65 is no time to exit stage left yet.

[Adlai Stevenson]

I could never agree with his politics, but this is undoubtedly a sad end for Charlie Norwood.  I am also surprised at how quick his death came after he stopped receiving treatment.  Perhaps the speed of his death was merciful given his condition, which would obviously be a good thing. 

[Kevin]

The sad part, really, was that the guy was relatively young.  I usually don't mourn too much if some guy who was 85 or so died, because the person had had a good, full life, but 65 is no time to exit stage left yet.

I fully agree with you. Also no matter what party Norwood was in Republican or Democratic he didn't deserve to die soo young.

[DownWithTheLeft]

Wow, this is truly sad, he was a great man and a good conservative

[Joe Biden 2020]

My prayers are with the Norwood family, his fellow Congresspeople in both parties, and his constituents. 

This is truely a sad time for the state of Georgia and the people of the 10th District, as well as for the country he loved.

Now comes the difficult task for Gov. Perdue to appoint someone who can carry on Norwood's work in Congress for the remainder of the term.

[Verily]

I think there are special elections for House seats in this scenario.

Yes; unless Georgia has different laws from most of the country, there will be a special election. Only Senate seats get appointed. (It's a relic of the appointed Senate.)

I've already wished my condolences to his family, but I will do so again here. I also admired many of his efforts in veteran's affairs and health care.

[Soaring Eagle]

That's a real shame. Though he died fairly young, he did good things while he was alive.

[Kevin]

My prayers are also indeed with the Norwood family in their time of difficulty.

[Stranger in a strange land]

:-(

[MarkWarner08]

I hope his family is doing well.