Political Quotes

“this has been a sad week in the U.S. Senate. First, we lost Senator Mike Enzi of Wyoming and last night brought news of the passing of Senator Carl Levin of Michigan. Carl was an extraordinary Senator and an extraordinary person. I remember after I had been in the Senate a few years, my friends back home said: Well, who are the real stars of the U.S. Senate? There were many who were as obvious as could be, Ted Kennedy, for example. I said: There are two you probably don't know much about that I would turn to time and again if I had to make an important decision, either policy or politics, that I know I would get a thoughtful, intelligent response. One was Paul Sarbanes of Maryland, and the other was Carl Levin of Michigan. Those two, more than many of the colleagues I served with, really represented the best of the U.S. Senate. Carl Levin was brilliant, nothing short of brilliant, and he was my friend. Many times we sat together and talked. I reflected on the way he approached legislation. Many of us think about the big-picture items and leave the details to staff--not Carl. Somebody would bring an amendment to the floor. Carl would say: I would like to get a copy of that. That, in itself, is unusual. We usually trust our staff to look at copies of amendments. Then he would say, as he read the amendment: Can I take this home tonight and read it and tell you what I think about it in the morning? You knew that wasn't a pose; that was a fact.…”