Mark Pryor: “Holmes had Watson, Mat Dillon had Chester, even Andy had Barney; for the past 20 years, I have had Bob Russell. Bob has…”

“Holmes had Watson, Mat Dillon had Chester, even Andy had Barney; for the past 20 years, I have had Bob Russell. Bob has long been a trusted friend, and for the past 7 years he has been my great chief of staff, providing valuable counsel, know-how, and humor. Bob is headed to the private sector, but I could not let him leave without thanking him for his public service in the Arkansas attorney general's office and in the Senate. Bob was instrumental in assembling an exceptional team of talented aides, many of whom are in the gallery today. Over the last 7 years, he led that team as we steered a number of legislative initiatives to success, including legislation to improve children's safety, help military families, and strengthen Arkansas communities. None of these accomplishments would have been possible without Bob's hard work, integrity, and deliberation. Bob believes in the 'do right' rule. He came to the Senate to get these done for Arkansas, and when he realized that partisanship was getting in the way, he took action.”