Political Quotes

“today I want to congratulate a former member of my Senate staff, Margaret Houlihan Smith. Margaret served as my Chicago director and previously as a senior member of my 1996 campaign team. Since 2004, Margaret has served as director of corporate and government affairs for United Airlines, responsible for advancing its legislative objectives and protecting its commercial interests in Illinois. Next week, Margaret is receiving the Rerum Novarum Award at St. Joseph College Seminary in Chicago. The Rerum Novarum Award, or Rights and Duties of Capital and Labor, is named after an encyclical written by Pope Leo XIII in 1891 that addressed issues facing the working class. Specifically, Rerum Novarum's fundamental principles are respect for the dignity of every person and their labor, the right to organize and belong to a union, and the right to a living wage. Every year, on behalf of St. Joseph College Seminary, the Seminary Salutes Committee honors men and women who have supported these ideals in the Chicagoland area. Well, I want to tell you that the committee couldn't have made a better choice than Margaret Houlihan Smith. Margaret learned the importance of these values and public service from her father, Dan Houlihan. Known as Dan-the-man to his constituents--he represented the South Side of Chicago--the Beverly neighborhood--in the Illinois House of Representatives. Public service was in Margaret's blood. So it is no surprise that, after graduating from St.…”