Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I have heard it said that being a chief of staff to a Member of Congress is one of the best jobs on the Hill. It takes a special person to keep the staff performing at the high level required of them. Burnout could easily occur because of long hours, high stress, and low pay. That is why I come to the floor to thank my chief of staff, Craig Roberts, for his 24 years of service to me, the people of Illinois, and the people of this country. Yes, you heard me right, Craig has been with me for 24 straight years. It really has to be some kind of record. Craig was born and raised in the Alton-Godfrey area of Madison County. He was one of those kids who was drawn to politics as a young kid, volunteering for campaigns in high school. While attending Western Illinois University, he continued his studies and political activities. He graduated with a degree in political science and was an active member of the College Republicans. Craig easily was hired by the Republican House staff in Illinois. I may have met him then, but my first direct and consistent contact with Craig was back in 1991 when he worked for the secretary of state. He volunteered to take on the task of running my first congressional campaign against an entrenched incumbent. Running for Congress is difficult. Running against an incumbent is even more difficult. Running against a powerful, well-entrenched incumbent is crazy.…”