Political Quotes

“Madam President, today I come to the Senate floor for what will probably be one of my last times--perhaps not my last time but close. I want to start off by thanking the people of Alabama, my home State. They have put their trust in me for more than 50 years. It is more than I could ever wish for, and this has been truly been an experience of a lifetime--something I could have never dreamed. I came to the House 44 years ago and served 8 years as a Democrat coming from the State of Alabama. I had a good run in the U.S. House, and I appreciate that. I am grateful for that. However, I always wanted to come over here to the U.S. Senate. In 1986, I ran for the Senate against the incumbent, Jeremiah Denton--a prominent war hero, a great man--and I won that race by 6,854 votes. It was razor, razor thin, as you can imagine. In 1994, after years of being told to join the Republican Party and that I should be there, from President Reagan and all the way down, I decided to switch parties. I joined the Republican Party. Some people would say that I was in the vanguard of the realignment of the Republican Party in the South. That is for history to decide. During my time in the Senate, I have been given the great opportunity of chairing four committees--four committees--something I couldn't have believed. In these positions of leadership, I have tried to influence legislation that will have a lasting impact, creating conditions to improve our country.…”