Kendrick Meek: “This man brings dignity to the word Congressman. He brings grace. He brings poise. He brings intellect, which is so…”

“This man brings dignity to the word Congressman. He brings grace. He brings poise. He brings intellect, which is so direly needed here in Congress. He brings that. As I have said many times, Ron Dellums reminds me of a Shakespearian actor. His gait reminds me of it, his elegance, his articulation, his knowledge of the issues. Ron Dellums is 'A Man for All Seasons,' and he has shown us that here in the Congress. He is a man of peace who boldly, as Chairman of the powerful Committee on Armed Services, kept peace at the top of his agenda. He was able to make peace and armed services compatible to each other. And with that he set a pace, he set a model for this Congress. Throughout his leadership, the fiery anti-war activist surprised his critics with his stewardship of the committee. He did what he was constitutionally prepared to do when he came into this Congress and that was to carry out the Constitution yet be very, very noble and dedicated to his constituents. He was not just civil. He was courtly.”