On the recordDecember 2, 2020
his name was the answer to a frequently asked question. It is a question that used to come up in almost every Democratic meeting when we talked about legislative ideas and we talked about making progress on the floor of the Senate. And the question was this: Who can we call on the other side of the aisle? And the answer was almost always Lamar Alexander. We knew that if we presented an idea to him, he would not only be receptive and respectful, we knew that if he came on board, it would lend credibility to our effort, maybe even get a bill passed around here. But it would always have to wear a red tartan badge with it because there was an idea that he wanted to bring to the party, but it was worth it. It was worth it not only for the progress that you can make in terms of legislation, but it was worth it because it was part of developing a friendship. Harry Truman used to recommend famously, ``If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.'' I thought of that. I told you about it a few months ago when you were on one of those Sunday morning talk shows. You were broadcasting, I think, from your living room or family room at your home in Tennessee, and I couldn't get over that stuffed animal that was on the coffee table behind you. It just seemed like it was such an odd little piece of maybe personal pride to have that stuffed animal with you. It turned out it wasn't stuffed at all.…
