Bill Bennett: “I note the passing of Boris Yeltsin, President of Russia and a major figure in the transition between the Communist rule…”

“I note the passing of Boris Yeltsin, President of Russia and a major figure in the transition between the Communist rule and the present democracy that exists in Russia. Like many Members of the body, I had the opportunity to meet Boris Yeltsin. That is one of the privileges we have as Senators--we get to meet important people from around the world. I can't pretend to know him at all. I simply shook his hand and said hello. But I was in Russia not long after he took power, spent time in the U.S. Embassy there, and noted the impact he had on helping bring Russia into the modern world, the world of democracy, and out of the ancient world, the world of tyranny. He had his faults. He had his problems. But he played a pivotal role, and we should take a moment to recognize that fact.”