Heidi Alexander: “Senator Baker, recalling the story of his maiden speech, asked that his remarks be put into the Congressional Record.…”

“Senator Baker, recalling the story of his maiden speech, asked that his remarks be put into the Congressional Record. The story was this, which I told that night: Senator Baker was here in 1967 and made his maiden speech at a time when his father-in-law, Everett Dirksen, was the Republican leader. I was here then, as Senator Baker's young legislative assistant, right out of law school. Senator Dirksen walked over to Senator Baker and sat down next to him after what had been a fairly long speech--maybe 45 minutes. Senator Baker looked at his father-in-law and said: Senator Dirksen, how did I do? And Senator Dirksen said to his son-in-law Howard: Maybe occasionally you should enjoy the luxury of an unexpressed thought. So Senator Baker, recalling that advice, I assume, asked that his remarks to be delivered that night at the end of a long ceremony be placed in the Congressional Record, and so I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record Senator Baker's remarks. There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: BIPARTISAN POLICY CENTER A CENTURY OF SERVICE HONORING HOWARD BAKER AND BOB DOLE THE MELLON AUDITORIUM WASHINGTON, D.C. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 2012 Remarks by Howard H. Baker, Jr. When I first arrived in Washington as a newly-elected Senator in 1967, the Vietnam War was at its height, with no end in sight and with anti-war protests growing increasingly violent. Race riots were burning down American cities.…”