Among the tributes that poured in online Tuesday for Rep. William Clinger was this Twitter post from Steve Kelman, who worked for the Clinton Administration.

“Sad to hear about (the) death of William Clinger, Republican representative with whom I worked very closely while serving in (the) administration of Democrat Bill Clinton on procurement reform. Republicans and Democrats can work together,” Kelman wrote.

Kelman, of course, was writing of the same William Clinger who led two separate probes into the Clinton administration in the mid-1990s. Clinger was a representative from a different time, when one could investigate allegations and still cooperate on policy.

Clinger’s reasonableness was a recurring theme from both Republicans and Democrats on Tuesday. Clinger was the type of representative who could form bonds with John Kasich and Al Gore, who could lead investigations into allegations against the Clintons at the height of the former president’s power and oppose the election of President Donald Trump — a difficult position for some Republicans to take.

Clinger was the type of Republican who understood that governing requires thoughtfulness, reasonableness and compromise. He and former Rep. Amo Houghton, R-Corning, were birds of a feather — wealthy, dignified men who were also able to represent rural areas dealing with poverty and deindustrialization.

To the end, Clinger took seriously his role as a statesman. People may not have agreed with everything William Clinger did — but his voice was respected to the very end.