Political Quotes

“I join in this chorus to say how privileged and humbled I am to stand before this body and welcome back my friend and fellow colleague, Senator Tim Johnson. Tim and I served in the House together. We came to the Senate in the same year. I went up to campaign in South Dakota, and he has been a great friend to Illinois. I have known him more than 20 years. I remember when I heard he had been stricken. I was stunned, as everybody was across America. As has been said before, the prayers of millions reached out to Tim and his family in their hour of need. For those who don't know Tim Johnson, he is not a typical politician. He doesn't really struggle for media attention, as some of us might; but he got a lot more attention than he ever thought he would because the whole world watched anxiously during those moments of surgery and recovery and rehabilitation. There wasn't a place you would go anywhere in America that Tim Johnson wasn't asked about. ``How is he doing?'' ``What is the latest?'' ``When is he coming back?'' Those of us who knew Tim and what he had done in the Senate and House, those of us who know his great family knew he would be back. He is one of those tough Scandinavians--not really flashy but solid. You just knew he was going to make it. I thought to myself, of all of us who could have suffered this terrible illness, this is one man who will be able to make it back.”