Lisa Murkowski: “I rise today to speak of the passing of our former colleague, Senator Barry Goldwater--one of the giants of twentieth…”

“I rise today to speak of the passing of our former colleague, Senator Barry Goldwater--one of the giants of twentieth century American politics. There is no doubt that Barry Goldwater was a transformational political thinker whose courage and conviction never wavered despite enduring a defeat in 1964. For in that defeat were sown the seeds of the Republican revolution that ultimately brought Ronald Reagan to the Presidency in 1980 and Republicans to control of Congress 14 years later. Senator Goldwater was a man who never minced words. He was honest, open and forthright. After his 1964 Presidential hopes were completely vanquished, he observed 'When you've lost an election by that much, it isn't the case of whether you made the wrong speech or wore the wrong necktie. It was just the wrong time.' In fact, Barry Goldwater was far ahead of his time and had the opportunity to see his beliefs vindicated when Ronald Reagan was elected President. Barry Goldwater did not base his political views on focus groups or poll results. He had core beliefs and was not willing to bend them for temporary political advantage. He warned of the dangers of big government and the welfare state precisely at the time that Lyndon Johnson was constructing the largest expansion of government since the Depression.”