The most colorful senator from Alabama may have been “Cotton Tom” Heflin who represented Alabama in the Senate in the 1920’s.

Fifty years later his nephew, Howell Heflin, took that same seat in the Senate. Howell Heflin served 18 years with distinction. Unlike his uncle who was a renowned racist, Howell Heflin was considered a moderate in Washington and even a progressive by Alabama standards. Sen. Howell Heflin’s 18-year Senate career and record mirror our two greatest U.S. Senators, Lister Hill and John Sparkman. I would rank Howell Heflin as our third greatest U.S. Senator only behind Hill and Sparkman.