Political Quotes

“I would like to speak, as many of my colleagues have, about Senator Inouye. When I was a new Senator, the first encounter I had with Senator Inouye was when he invited me to go with him to the University of Hawaii to debate some issue--and I don't remember exactly what the issue was. Obviously, I didn't know what I was getting into because he had been in the Senate by then a quarter of a century, I believe, and I was new. But I was glad to be invited and felt honored to be invited. So I suppose every Senator here is going to be able to have a lot of memories of Senator Inouye. I come to the floor to pay tribute, as we ought to, to our friend. I have heard the tributes paid to Senator Inouye by his fellow Senators, and that has gone on over the past several hours since his passing. It is a strong testament to the character of Senator Inouye that his loss as a friend and colleague is so deeply felt. Senator Inouye impressed many of us with his quiet determination, his dedication to right and wrong, and his sheer decency. He was a gentle force in the Senate, with emphasis upon ``force,'' but that adjective ``gentle'' is very legitimate. He had a strong work ethic and was very productive on behalf of the entire United States. Also, of course, as all of us do, we have to look out for the people in our States, so he looked out for his beloved State of Hawaii as well. Because he was restrained in his demeanor, when he spoke he commanded real attention.…”