Political Quotes

“Mr. President, in January of last year, I walked onto the Senate floor for the second time in my life. The first time that I got to be on the Senate floor was in 1995 when I was an intern for my Senator, Chris Dodd. Back then it was a little bit easier for interns to come here, and he brought me down to the Senate floor one afternoon. I knew what I wanted to do. I had a small handful of people I wanted to meet. I don't know if I ever told this to Tom, but I wanted to meet Tom Harkin, and I got to do that. Twenty years ago he was a giant in the Senate. The one point I wish to make is this--I had the chance to serve with Tom on the HELP Committee and I have seen his legislative ability and the respect he commands here, but I have only known him for 2 years. Anyway, the point I want to make is that the effect he has had on the legislative process stands as an achievement in and of itself. I would argue that I am one of tens of thousands of public servants who decided to go into this line of work, decided to care about the kind of things I care about because I watched Tom Harkin on TV growing up. I came from a family that was nonpolitical. My parents were both registered Republicans. There is no genetic reason why I do this other than seeing people like Tom fight on behalf of the disabled and the disenfranchised and the dispossessed. He gave me the idea that there was some worth to being in this line of work.…”