One of the frustrating things about living in Michigan is that people here love John Dingell. This is an indictment of my state because it reveals a certain insecurity that makes us think we need a bully to protect us from the rest of the world. The 85-year-old Democratic congressman, who has "served" since 1955 and last week became the longest-tenured member of Congress in the nation's history, is widely revered as a Michigan hero because he has so skillfully wielded the power born of his clout in Washington.