Tom Harkin: “I only responded because the Senator raised the issue. He was saying, questioning me, that was I saying all these great…”

“I only responded because the Senator raised the issue. He was saying, questioning me, that was I saying all these great ones all received NEA grants. I would say no. But I think the question I asked was how many more were out there that could have risen up? He mentioned Samuel Clemens. That was the last century and of course, again, we had great musicians and we had great artists and poets in the past. But again, I challenge my friend from Missouri to think about this. The few that we talk about in the past century were so few in number. I mean, they were absolutely the pinnacle, absolutely the best. How many more who didn't quite make it up there could have been very good? Maybe they wouldn't have been the top echelon, but they might have been very good writers and purveyors of senses of the esthetics of different regions of this country that weren't there. Sure, you can point to Samuel Clemens and a few others. But how many more might have come along, might have been great, might have been maybe not at that pinnacle, but maybe up in that level who died aborning because they had no support whatsoever? I might also, tongue in cheek, ask my friend from Missouri, who has gone after some writings that he claims are not quite appropriate for readers to read--you know, old Samuel Clemens wrote some things that were pretty risque. I wonder if the Senator from Missouri has ever read ``Letters From Heaven''?”