Pete Domenici: “first, I bring regards from my wife Nancy to both you and Dot. She asked me today--it was written on my calendar--if I…”

“first, I bring regards from my wife Nancy to both you and Dot. She asked me today--it was written on my calendar--if I would say that for her, and I do. I do not think all Senators know that 30 years ago, a class of new Senators numbering nine arrived in the Senate. I was one of those nine, Senator Sam Nunn, Senator Bennett Johnston, Senator Biden, myself, and our wonderful Jesse Helms. That group saw Senator Helms as being the father of all of us. We thought we were youngsters, and then we met Jesse, and we said: We do have some wisdom and some experience with us. It has been a sheer joy to serve with him. The whole group that came together has left of their own accord, and that is good. It speaks well of them; it speaks mightily of the class and the capacity they had. Jesse, as I saw you get sick and then get well, I was truly hopeful that whatever the good Lord had in store for you, you would leave here on your own, saying goodbye to the Senate with your own capacity, and that nothing would be the cause of taking you from us. That is why it is a good day, because you have lived through it all, and you have been, from what outsiders know, the absolute opposite of what people say you are. They judge you by your record, and if they do not like the record, they have things to say that are totally without the character of Jesse Helms. My friend who just spoke clearly put it right when it comes to kindness.…”