Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, in 1982, in the State of Illinois, a 31- year-old man announced his candidacy for United States Congress from the 17th Congressional District. His name was Lane Evans. He was a Marine veteran and a young legal aid attorney helping poor people in his home community. It was viewed initially as kind of a suicide mission that he was not going to be able to win, but some of us decided that we were going to get involved in that campaign even though we weren't necessarily from his district and, gathering with people who supported him from his area, ran a campaign that elected the first Democrat since the Civil War from that area, a young man who impressed the people of his district with his incredible modesty, but also clarity. Lane Evans was so clear that his mission was to represent the ordinary people of that section of western Illinois, to represent unions and veterans and poor people, and to be their voice in the United States Congress. It turned out to be one of the most important elections in my view, in history, certainly in the history of the State of Illinois. Lane served for 25 years in the Congress. Again, this was a district that was considered kind of a swing district, but year after year, election after election, Lane Evans would be elected with very wide margins. Lane Evans was fearless. He would stand up for what was right even when some of us would say, ``Lane, are you sure? This may not go over so great in your district.…”