Political Quotes

“as I enter the Chamber and look to the rear to the seat occupied by our dear friend, the late Senator Paul Coverdell, it reminds me of the reality of the fragility of the lives we lead. The message is one of taking stock of what our real priorities are. Life is so short, so fragile, and our period on Earth is so temporary. At this time we join together in grieving with the family of our beloved colleague who passed away Tuesday evening. Our thoughts and prayers are certainly with his wife Nancy and the family during their time of extraordinary grief. We all share in the reality that this was a tragic and unexpected loss. We all feel it in this Chamber, in the halls of the Senate office buildings and, of course, in Paul's beloved State of Georgia. But we cannot be blinded by grief to the point that we fail to recognize and celebrate the life of this outstanding public servant. He was an extraordinary public servant. I listened to some of the comments made last night after we learned of his passing. The Senator from New York said he was a man of peace. Reflecting on Paul's public service, he served his country in the Army, with deployments in Okinawa, Korea, and the Republic of China, came home to Georgia, joined the family business, helped it thrive and grow and then, beginning in 1970, served his State in the legislature, serving as minority leader for a period of 15 years. In 1989, he continued his commitment to peace as Director of the Peace Corps.”