Political Quotes

“when you are new to the U.S. Senate, it is not unusual for friends and people back home, after you have been there a while, to say: So who are the good guys and who are the bad guys in the Senate? Who are the ones you really like and what can you tell us about the rest of them? It is a common question that is asked, and I do remember, as a new Senator here, reflecting on that question and saying: You know, if I had an important decision to make in the Senate, whatever the issue might be, there are two Senators whom I always want to sit down and get their advice. One was Carl Levin of Michigan--one of the most thoughtful, smart guys I had a chance to serve with, and the other was Paul Sarbanes. He just always struck me as a man of substance, who took questions seriously. He was respected in the U.S. Senate for his service, of course, to Maryland, and he was just a good person. He brought real integrity to the U.S. Senate. So when I learned that he passed away just a few days ago, I wanted to put a few things in the Record. He was a man of towering intellect and integrity, but he was modest. He didn't care about headlines. He did so much good work behind the scenes. He was given some of the toughest assignments. Think about the responsibility of dealing with the great recession and then working with Republican Congressman Oxley to put together a really significant reform of Wall Street and the financial community.…”