"To Charlie, he has indeed fought the good fight, finished the course and kept the faith, and until we meet again, until we meet again, somewhere behind the veil that obscures eternity, we bid farewell."

- U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal

Congressman Charlie Norwood will be remembered for many things - his Patients Bill of Rights and Veterans Protection Act, his fight against illegal immigration and his efforts to keep Fort Gordon off the Base Realignment and Closure list in 2005.

At his memorial service Thursday at the beautiful First Baptist Church in Augusta, his congressional colleague and friend Rep. Nathan Deal said Mr. Norwood's legislative accomplishments will affect our lives for years to come, but "the greatest lesson we can learn from the life of Charlie Norwood is not embodied in the content of the bills that he introduced but by the life he lived in our presence.

"From being a decorated dentist in Vietnam to a pugnacious member of Congress to enduring the life-threatening diseases and surgeries of the last few years, throughout it all, he was a man of courage," Mr. Deal said. "He showed us all the power of determination and the strength of the human spirit as he squeezed every possible minute out of the body God gave him.

"Yes, Charlie Norwood was a man of courage with a warrior's heart that taught us all how precious life really is. Charlie was also honest. Maybe I should say brutally honest. You never had to worry or wonder about where you stood with Charlie Norwood. And nobody ever accused him of the typical political trick of spin."

"HE WAS LOYAL AND HIS GRIT DEFINED HIM":

"Your presence here is testimony to the power of one individual life based on principles, powered by convictions and peppered with wit, wisdom and a love for people," said the Rev. Stephen M. Dodson, pastor of Trinity on the Hill United Methodist Church.

"'Charlie was my foxhole buddy. When Charlie said he was with you, you knew you would have someone with you until the end,'" said the Rev. Dodson, quoting Rep. Lynn Westmoreland.

I COME TO BURY CAESAR: Well, I hate to bring this up now after those eloquent words and that most inspirational service, but those with political ambitions have been plotting and planning since before Mr. Norwood came home to Augusta to die. It's only natural. Life is for the living and the race is to the swift. Nobody meant to be disrespectful to the Norwoods, I'm sure. I'm not so sure about whether they meant to be disrespectful to me when I called to ask if it was true they planned to run, and they suggested I was being disrespectful for asking. I only asked because I knew for certain sure they've been making plans for weeks. Is that what you call being hypocritical?

FRIENDS, ROMANS, COUNTRYMEN: Expect a flurry of announcements this week starting with state Sen. Jim Whitehead. While Mr. Whitehead already said Friday that he's running, state Rep. Barry Fleming said he'll wait until this week to talk about his plans out of respect for the Norwoods. But make no mistake about it. He's running. That is unless somebody - you know, like the governor - can talk him out of it. The die has been cast, and former 10th District Congressman Doug Barnard will lead Mr. Fleming's campaign committee.

Some see this as a catastrophe for Columbia County politics and its legislative clout. Not only will it split the county, but since both lawmakers will have to resign when they qualify, the county will lose power and seniority, which means everything in Atlanta.

Others who say they're running are Athens businessman Ralph Hudgens, a Republican, and Democrat Terry Holley, who lost big-time to Mr. Norwood last November. And nobody but Mr. Holley and Richmond County Democratic Party Chairman Lowell Greenbaum thinks a Democrat can win.

Word that former University of Georgia coach and athletic director Vince Dooley is thinking about running couldn't be verified. His wife, Barbara, who ran for the 12th District Congressional seat in 2002, said she definitely wasn't running and Vince wouldn't answer her when she asked him if he was.

"So what does that tell you?" she said. "I don't know."

When I told Metro Editor Bill Kirby what she said, he said he wrote a column back in the 1980s when Mr. Dooley was considering running for the U.S. Senate, in which he said, "Vince Dooley was the biggest tease since Gypsy Rose Lee."

One other interesting item making the rounds is that former 12th District Republican Congressman Max Burns is putting out feelers.

What a coinkydinky it was that I saw him at the reception after Mr. Norwood's funeral and asked him why he didn't move into the 10th District and run. He just sort of laughed and said something I can't even remember. If I'd known then he was thinking about it, I would have paid more attention.

THANK GOODNESS FOR JAMES BROWN: I have a question, and I mean this as no disrespect to anyone, but has opening the casket at funerals and wakes gone out of style? I was so disappointed that there was no public viewing of former Mayor Charles DeVaney or Mr. Norwood. I don't know why exactly. I just wanted to see them. I think it's important for people to take that last look. It sort of finalizes everything. That's why people have been filing by caskets for that last look for just about ever.

In south Georgia where I grew up, they brought the departed home and put them on display in the living room or parlor, and everybody came and ate and talked about how good they looked. "Just like she's sleeping," they said. Or, "Didn't they do a good job on him?"

When my former husband graduated from Georgia and got a job coaching at Turner High School in Ashburn, Ga., one of his player's grandmother died, and he went to the house to pay his respects. A sweet little old lady met him at the door, invited him in and asked, "Do you want to see the corpse?"

Now he is a very dignified fellow with a poker face. It's just a good thing I wasn't with him.

TRUST ME. I'M A POLITICIAN: At least that's what Jimmy Atkins, president of the Richmond County school board, wants you to do.

Give him your money, but don't ask questions about how it's spent, even if he and his fellow board members are asking them. That's basically what Mr. Atkins said this week when questions were raised about the possible misuse of grant money. He dodged questions, saying simply that the public should trust the board to act appropriately.

Lest we forget, Mr. Atkins was one of the board members who only months ago was asking questions about hundreds of thousands of your dollars being given out as pay advances and loans to employees. The board is still trying to recover some of the money from that mess. Now that he's president of the board, he's changed his tune.

But, in Mr. Atkins, we should trust?

FOOTNOTE: Ernie's foot is now in the hands of a wound-care specialist.

City Ink thanks Staff Writer Greg Gelpi for his contribution to this week's column.

Reach Sylvia Cooper at (706) 823-3228 or sylvia.cooper@augustachronicle.com.