Beloved Michigan Senator Carl Levin Dies at 87

Longtime Michigan Senator, Carl Levin passed away Thursday at the age of 87.

The official announcement came in a statement from Levin's family and the Levin Center at Wayne State University. Levin was Michigan's longest serving senator with 36 years of service. Levin had been battling lung cancer in the year leading up to his death. Levin officially announced his retirement from politics in 2015, but his impact on Michigan will be felt long after his passing.

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Levin will be remembered for his willingness to stand up for the Michigan auto industry, but there is much more to his legacy than that.

Levin worked as the chair of the senate Armed Services Committee during two different terms. Even though it really hasn't been that long since Levin sat in the Senate, the political world feels much different now. Levin feels like a welcome voice in the room compared to the turmoil that seems to pop up every single day in politics now.

I think that's one of the reasons he is remembered so fondly by both his co-workers, and Michigan voters. He had the ability to tell you exactly what he thought, without demeaning or insulting someone to do it. That's a skill that most politicians today are severely lacking.

There is a memorial page set up for Carl Levin, and the messages that are being posted serve as a testament to the man Levin was. If you have some time today, go through the comments. It doesn't take long to see the impact he had on everyone he came in contact with.