Tom Harkin: “with the close of the 111th Congress, the Senate will lose one of its most popular, articulate, and outspoken Members. I…”

“with the close of the 111th Congress, the Senate will lose one of its most popular, articulate, and outspoken Members. I will lose a kindred spirit and a fellow progressive populist, Byron Dorgan, who has spent his entire four decades in elected office fighting on behalf of family farmers and ranchers, struggling small businesses, ordinary working Americans, and anyone who has been run roughshod over by big business, big banks, or big government. Both Senator Dorgan and I are proud of our roots in the rural upper midwest. I was raised in Cumming, IA, population 162. He was raised in Regent, ND, population 211. Byron always liked to joke that he graduated in the top 10 of his class of 9 students. Senators on both sides of the aisle have come to respect and admire Senator Dorgan's distinctive voice here in the Senate, a voice that mixes keen intelligence with a great sense of humor, plus a gift for making his arguments with colorful, compelling stories and language. Throughout his more than four decades in public service, he has used that voice to speak out powerfully for farm country in rural America.”