Political Quotes

“what I really want to do is do something that I think is probably the best highlight of Thursday speeches in the Senate--I think the pages all certainly agree; they are all nodding-- for the people watching across America. It is the ``Alaskan of the Week.'' This is a great tradition. I have been doing it for many, many years. I try to get down here on the Senate floor on Thursday, wrapping up-- not every week but a lot of weeks. And I like to talk about an Alaskan who is doing something really important for our State, community, maybe the country, maybe the world, and then talk a little bit about what is going on back home. So I am going to do that. But we also had another neat tradition today here in the Senate: our Thursday lunch group in the Senate on the Republican side. One Senator hosts lunch for his or her colleagues and talks a little bit about their home State. Today was my opportunity to host. I am not bragging, but I do think when Senator Murkowski and I--and by the way, Senator Collins, with Maine lobster--but when Senator Murkowski and I host, we have good attendance because we have great seafood: fresh halibut, fresh salmon. We did that. I did that again today. It was great. The whole room was decorated with Alaskan perfect peonies. We have great peonies in Alaska too--holy cow. So this a perfect time for the ``Alaskan of the Week.''”