Joe Lieberman: “I rise to honor the Members of the Senate who will be leaving us at the end of this Congress. They will not be here in…”

“I rise to honor the Members of the Senate who will be leaving us at the end of this Congress. They will not be here in this Chamber next year, but each will leave an indelible imprint on this body, and on the lives of the American people. First, I wish to say a few words about my colleague, my compatriot on the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, and my friend, Fred Thompson, who has served the people of Tennessee and the people of America ably and nobly for the past 8 years. The man the Screen Actors Guild knows as Fred Dalton Thompson acts-- and acts quite well, I should add--but the man we know as Senator Fred Thompson has never read off of anyone's script. Again and again, he has done what he in his heart believed was right for the nation. I will always admire his clarity, integrity, and intellectual curiosity. Since his joining the Senate in 1994, I have known Senator Thompson as a dogged investigator who is always willing to go wherever the evidence may lead, and as an independent-minded legislator who sticks to and stands on principle.”