Lateefah Simon: “I want to join the others who are paying tribute to our colleague, who has announced today that he will not seek…”

“I want to join the others who are paying tribute to our colleague, who has announced today that he will not seek reelection. I heard Senator Chafee say the Senate today is a better place because of Senator Pell. I do not know that the Senate is a better place than the day Claiborne Pell arrived, but it is true that he has improved the quality of life around here by his conduct. And what is unquestionably true is that the Nation is a better place because of Claiborne Pell's service. We use the term 'public servant' rather freely around here, more freely than sometimes we should. We apply it to anyone who holds public office. A man who died just a few weeks ago, who succeeded Averell Harriman as head of the Marshall plan in Western Europe, Milton Katz, told me one time that there are two kinds of politicians: Those who seek office because they want to be whatever it is--Senator, Governor, President, whatever the office--and those who seek office because of what the office can do. There is a little bit of both in all of us. But Claiborne Pell is there because he wants to serve the public. It is evident in everything he does. Someone--I forget who--used the word 'civility.' We hear that a great deal these days. But we do not hear much genuine civility. There is excessive partisanship.”