Tom Harkin: “Most of all, I thank my wife, Ruth, the love of my life, my wife of 46 years. You have been my constant companion, my…”

“Most of all, I thank my wife, Ruth, the love of my life, my wife of 46 years. You have been my constant companion, my soul mate, my strongest supporter, and my most honest critic. You have been my joy in happy times and my solace when things just didn't go right. So I am looking forward to more adventures, love, and excitement with her in the years ahead. To our two beautiful, smart, caring, and compassionate daughters, Amy and Jenny, I thank you for always being there for your dad, for giving me such wondrous joy in being a part of your growing up. I am so proud of both of you. To my son-in-law Steve and to my grand kids, McQuaid, Daisy, and Luke: Look out, because here comes grandpa. There is so much I want to say, but I want to be respectful of those who have come to share this moment with me--my staff, here and there, my family, friends, and fellow Senators. But I want to state as briefly as I can why I am here, what has propelled me, and what has been my guiding philosophy for all these years. It has to do with that ladder of opportunity I just mentioned. You see, there is nothing wrong in America with being a success. There is nothing wrong with having more money, a nicer home, a nicer car, sending your kids to good schools, having nice vacations, and a great retirement. That is a big part of the American dream.…”