Pete Domenici: “I was present yesterday at the funeral mass at St. Matthew's for Jack Joseph Valenti. I did not know he had a middle…”

“I was present yesterday at the funeral mass at St. Matthew's for Jack Joseph Valenti. I did not know he had a middle name, Joseph, but I am learning more and more about him now after his passing. I was a friend of his. I thought I knew much about him. But the more I read, the more I find out what a spectacular man and a marvelous life he lived. I thought I would share with the Senate, since somebody said at the mass, as they were permitted to speak--they were one of the few who were selected--I would bet that everybody in this church would like to come up here and be given 10 minutes to say something about their friend Jack Valenti. That person who said that was absolutely right. That is exactly how I felt sitting there: Wouldn't it be nice if I could walk up there and tell all of these people and whoever else was listening, share what I knew about him. Of course, that was not to be. But today I am going to do that in the Senate for a few minutes, and tell the Senate about how this man, who was known to try to help everybody in very different circumstances, how he came to know me and how I came to know him.”