Michael Bennet: “I wish to take a moment today to speak about my friend Mark Udall, who is soon going to be finishing his term. Mark's…”

“I wish to take a moment today to speak about my friend Mark Udall, who is soon going to be finishing his term. Mark's sister Doty describes him as an OK politician but an extraordinary public servant. I think it is fair to say that Mark could never reduce his role as a representative of the people of Colorado to just politics. It is not in his DNA. It is with a very heavy heart that I see him leave the Senate, because he is my friend. But it is especially sad at a time when Mark's kind of leadership and constructive engagement is exactly what this place needs. ``Udall'' is a name that is synonymous with the West, and Mark and the collective service of the Udall family have come to represent the very best of our western way of life. They have embodied that pioneering and entrepreneurial spirit dating back to the days when Americans were building entirely new lives on the frontier. They have a historic love for the beauty and majesty of the West. They have spent lifetimes protecting it. Mo and Stu Udall, Mark's uncle and father, both served our country during World War II. Stu was elected to serve the Second District of Arizona. When President Kennedy asked Stu to serve as the Secretary of Interior, Mo won Stu's seat in Congress. Unlike his son Mark, Mo never ran for the Senate. He explained why. He said: I told the Arizona Press Club with [Barry] Goldwater present that there were three reasons I was not running for the Senate: 1. I love the House. 2.…”