Barbara Boxer: “The message I want to give you today, Mike, is that you have made a mark in the Senate. It is hard to do that because I…”

“The message I want to give you today, Mike, is that you have made a mark in the Senate. It is hard to do that because I am sure you know we have at least 100 fairly large egos around here. To make a mark in such a place is a tribute to you. You have made a mark among so many Senators--by the way, you picked some wonderful ones to work for--and also among staff. I don't know whether you can see the staff here, Mike, but there are quite a number of them here today. If they could grab a microphone away from us, I know they would. They also send their strong and best wishes to you and their love. It is kind of unusual for someone to have that kind of amazing respect and admiration from Senators and staffers alike. There is a reason for it. You chose this career for the right reasons--not for the power, not for the influence. In many ways, you have that through the powerful and effective people for whom you work. But that is not why you decided to make your career in public service. It is really because inside you, you have this burning feeling that we need to make life better for all the American people.”