Rep Robert Matsui (D-CA): 1941-2005

Rep Robert Matsui (D-CA) has died of complications from a rare stem cell disorder. The 13-term Democrat led his party's efforts to retake the House in the November election and was expected to play a major role in the coming debate over Social Security. As a five-month old infant, Matsui was interred with his family in a relocation camp in Northern California through World War II. It provided his earliest memories and he said the experience shaped his political views later in life. (SF Chronicle)