Chuck Grassley: “look up Senator Stevens' name in media reports and you will find a long list of adjectives: tenacious, temperamental…”

“look up Senator Stevens' name in media reports and you will find a long list of adjectives: tenacious, temperamental, scrappy, gruff, hot-tempered, tireless. And you will come across a long list of nicknames: one of the Senate's ``old bulls'' for his institutional knowledge, ``Uncle Ted'' to the people of Alaska who are grateful for his aggressive advocacy for their interests, pioneer for flying Army Air Corps missions during World War II and migrating to our rugged 49th State after law school, a mentor to up- and-coming elected officials, reportedly by his wife, a nutrition enthusiast for his devoted consumption of greens and whole grains, in the case of his longtime friend, Senator Inouye of Hawaii, ``my brother.'' I would like to add a few adjectives of my own. First, Ted Stevens is an Alaskan. It is impossible to think of Alaska without thinking of its senior Senator. Alaska and Ted Stevens are inseparable. Anyone who knows Senator Stevens knows he wakes up every morning fighting for the people of Alaska and doesn't stop until he sleeps, which apparently isn't much. Their commercial industry, health care, electricity, water, transportation--even the cost of rural mail delivery--all earn his scrutiny. He has delivered again and again on policy to improve Alaskans' quality of life. Second, and just as important, Ted Stevens is loyal. He is loyal to the institution of the United States Senate. Bipartisanship is natural for him.…”