Tom Harkin: “I hope the Senator from Nevada understands the depth of my feeling about him personally--personally and professionally.…”

“I hope the Senator from Nevada understands the depth of my feeling about him personally--personally and professionally. Personally, as just a good, decent, wonderful human being, someone who cares deeply about people and making our Government work for people, making sure that people have the same kind of opportunities we had when we were kids. A young kid from Searchlight, NV, and a young kid from Cumming, IA, knowing what our parents were like, poor--we see the two things we have in common. We were both born in small houses in small towns to poor parents. But we had a country that gave us an opportunity. I know the Senator feels very deeply that he wants to pass on to his kids, and his grandkids, a country that gives them the same kind of opportunities the country gave us; for the Harry Reids of today who are born in some little house in some unknown town someplace out in the middle of nowhere, that they, too, have the same opportunity that this Harry Reid had to succeed in America. That is the kind of America I know the Senator wants to leave. That is why I admire him so much. He is just a great human being.”