Political Quotes

“Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, this is my first opportunity to stand in the well of the House, and I take it very seriously because I am pleased to participate in a special order to honor our former colleague, Ed Madigan. My special thanks to you, Tom Ewing, a friend and a neighbor, for setting aside this time to honor Ed Madigan, who obviously was a dear friend of yours and of many others. While Ed was a Member of Congress he represented a large part of the district which I currently represent. Ed and his lovely wife, Evelyn, resided in their hometown of Lincoln, where he was finally laid to rest. I have known Ed for a long time, but my fondest memories will always be his knack of telling great stories. He had a very dry sense of humor, and he used his tale-spinning ability to entertain audiences with one funny story after another. Because of this talent, I will always remember Ed Madigan as the 'Will Rogers of central Illinois.' He was an astute politician who could draw a congressional map to favor those of his own party. He was a talented legislator and craftsman who helped to write an 800-page farm bill in 1990, and he was a statesman, as evidenced by his tenure as Secretary of Agriculture during the Bush administration.”