Political Quotes

“Mr. President, pending before the Senate is the nomination of Jay Tharp to serve on the District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Senator Kirk and I have agreed on a bipartisan approach to this. We each have appointed bipartisan committees who review prospective applicants and then make recommendations. We each have a veto over the other's recommendation, so it is totally bipartisan. In the case of Jay Tharp, there was no veto--certainly not by me--and in this case, he was sponsored by Senator Kirk. He is an extraordinarily talented individual. The reason I have entered into the Congressional Record the official statement of Senator Kirk is because, obviously, he can't be here. He is in rehab at this point from a stroke he suffered in January, and there was an encouraging video released last week showing the progress he is making. We are all anxious for him to return. I promised him in a phone conversation last week that I would move this nomination as quickly as possible so that his nominee is approved. His statement now in the Record speaks to his feelings about Jay Tharp's nomination, and it speaks for itself. I will now add my own comments. I am glad Mr. Tharp is finally getting a vote in the Senate. It has taken a long time. In fact, it has taken too long for this day to come.…”