 His face had a waxy quality. He smiled. It was a sweet smile. It made me sad in a way I can't fully convey. I always thought, and I wrote, that he was a decent man. If ambition was his only sin, and it seemed to be, he had committed no sin at all by the standards of most politicians I have covered. He took my hand in his, and I was startled by how it felt. Not cold, but cool. The basement was so warm that people were sweating and complaining that they were sweating. This was a silly black tie affair.