Sarbanes was always there for Greece

Paul Sarbanes was one of the most prominent figures of the Greek diaspora. If you didn't know him in person, you might get the impression that he was an all-too-quiet, perhaps even indifferent man. Big mistake. Sarbanes had what one might call stealth power. When he addressed the Senate, you could see the respect in the eyes of his younger peers, regardless of party affiliation. During interviews, he would often say that letting someone else take credit for a success was a good strategy for getting things done.

A long-standing friend and ally of Greece, Sarbanes never backed down, even when Greek governments made it hard for him to push an argument. When for example Andreas Papandreou climbed to power in Greece, Sarbanes had to face the pro-Israeli lobby that were handing out pictures of the then Greek prime minister embracing Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. A cool...