Political Quotes

“But I would like to pay such tribute now. Just about 1 year ago--June 13, 1996, to be precise--my daughter Maura and I traveled to the White House for a state dinner in honor of Ireland's president, Mary Robinson, and her husband Nicholas. We stopped at the northwest gate, to be scrutinized by White House security officials. An earnest young man in a uniform peered into our Jeep, studied my face, consulted a clipboard, and then said smartly, ``Good evening, Senator Thurmond!'' A fine compliment, to be mistaken for a man more robust, more vigorous, more irrepressible than individuals half his age or mine! I will leave to others the task of highlighting our beloved colleague's absolutely extraordinary private and public lives, which span the 20th century. A few things come to mind which bear mentioning, however. He learned his populist brand of politics from ``Pitchfork Ben'' Tillman--a man born 150 years ago--whose Senate seat he now occupies. And yet he was just re-elected for the eighth time, again with little difficulty. Senator Thurmond embodies the political and social transformation of the South.”