Political Quotes

“our colleague Strom Thurmond is retiring soon, and I just wanted to say a few words, on this special day of appreciation, about the gentleman from South Carolina. For that is what he is: the consummate gentleman. There is the public Strom that everyone knows--the legend--then there is the private Strom, a colleague and collaborator I have always found to be eager to help a fellow Senator and accommodate his concerns. I have felt honored to work with him on issues of national defense, foreign policy, and many other matters important to the people of the United States. The people of South Carolina, in particular, can be very proud of this war hero, who landed in Normandy as a member of the 82nd Airborne Division in 1942, who was Governor of South Carolina, and who, in the Senate, distinguished himself as chairman of the Judiciary Committee and the Armed Services Committee. There are great Strom Thurmond stories--many told by Strom himself, of course. For my part, I like to tell the one about his 90th birthday celebration, held here in Washington. One reporter asked if he could expect to see Strom on his 100th birthday. And Senator Thurmond looked him up and down and said: ``Well, you look fit enough to me. If you eat right and drink right, you ought to be around to see me then.'' He is an inspiration. As everyone knows, he represents continuity in the United States Senate, being, since 1996, its oldest serving member, and, since 1997, its longest serving member.”