Joe Lieberman: “it is with sadness and affection that I note the imminent departure from the Senate of my dear friend and distinguished…”

“it is with sadness and affection that I note the imminent departure from the Senate of my dear friend and distinguished colleague Trent Lott of Mississippi. Trent and I came to the Senate together almost 20 years ago. Over that time, I have come to respect Trent's leadership abilities, but most of all I have treasured his friendship and counsel. Trent and I come from different places but we share a deep love for our country and a deep respect and appreciation for this institution in which we have been privileged to serve. Trent not only represented his beloved home State, but he became a national leader because his colleagues recognized that he had extraordinary abilities to make this institution work. Like all successful and effective Senators, Trent understood that for this institution to work for the American people, the 100 Members of this body must find a way to cooperate; despite the differences in region, ideology, party, and even personality. Trent had a seventh sense of what motivated his colleagues and how they might approach an issue that was before the Senate. Sometimes, it was uncanny how prescient Trent could be about the outcome of a particular vote on the Senate floor. He understood that one could compromise in order to achieve results without compromising core principles. Yes, Trent was a conservative Republican partisan when he needed to be.”