Jasper Packard: “I consider it a real privilege to get up on the floor and speak of my friend Sonny Bono. Sonny really became a…”

“I consider it a real privilege to get up on the floor and speak of my friend Sonny Bono. Sonny really became a heavyweight in everything he did. I think he started out perceived as a lightweight in most everything he did, but before it was done, he rose to the point where he really became an influence, a significant influence, in everything he did. In the entertainment industry he started out conceived as a lightweight and one that would never make an impact, and few people in the entertainment industry have made a greater impact than Sonny Bono has. Then he went to the city of Palm Springs, was elected mayor. I served as a mayor. I know the impact that a mayor has on a community, and Sonny Bono, I am sure, was perceived initially that it was kind of a fluke that he would be elected. But before he was done, he made a powerful impact upon the quality of life in Palm Springs. It is a better place to live and work than it was before Sonny Bono served. Then he came to Congress. In the Congress of the United States unquestionably he was perceived to be a lightweight when he came, but it did not take long until we recognized that he carried a powerful wallop and made a powerful influence for good in this institution. He made his mark. He has been a heavyweight in everything he has touched. I admire him. I love him. I appreciated the work he did. I hope that we will keep him as a memorable Member of this body. It is a better place to serve because of Sonny Bono.”