Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I come to the floor today to pay tribute to a devoted public servant from my home State of Iowa. Congressman Leonard Boswell passed away this month after a long battle with cancer. A decorated military officer, he served 20 years in the U.S. Army, a dozen years in the Iowa Senate, and 16 years in the U.S. House of Representatives. That adds up to nearly a half-century in service to the country he so dearly loved and served with honor and distinction. After being drafted into the U.S. Army, Leonard rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel and served two tours of duty as an assault helicopter pilot in Vietnam. His distinguished service in uniform groomed him for political battles on the campaign trail and in public office at the State and Federal level. In civilian life, as well as in both the military and political arenas, Leonard Boswell was an officer and a gentleman. He brought integrity to the campaign trail and to the halls of Congress. Anyone who underestimated Congressman Boswell failed to appreciate the gritty combination of a decorated war veteran and a cattle farmer from southern Iowa. In fact, an armed intruder who broke into the Congressman's farm home in 2011 found out right quick. At age 77, Leonard's instincts to protect his family kicked into overdrive, and he tackled the intruder to the ground. Notwithstanding those instincts, Leonard Boswell was widely known as folksy and plain-spoken. He was Iowa through and through.…”