Bill Clinton: “As he noted in his statement this morning, Bob Michel has served his country--as Congressman, aide, and soldier--for…”

“As he noted in his statement this morning, Bob Michel has served his country--as Congressman, aide, and soldier--for close to a half century. As the eighth President to have had the pleasure of working with him, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for his many contributions to America's strength, my profound respect for his leadership, and my sincere appreciation for the fairness and bipartisanship he has shown in his dealings with me. For over a decade as Republican leader, Bob has exhibited the balance of partisanship and cooperation which makes our system function. He would never give my party any quarter in a partisan fight, but Bob Michel would never put his party's political interests ahead of the national interest. I look forward to continuing to work with Bob Michel over the next 15 months as we seek to achieve a bipartisan consensus on such issues as free trade, health security, and the rest of our agenda for 103d Congress, and I wish him a long and happy retirement in his beloved Illinois.”