Dick Lugar: “what a pleasure it is to be with my colleague Pat Leahy on this very special day. It was a great coincidence that the…”

“what a pleasure it is to be with my colleague Pat Leahy on this very special day. It was a great coincidence that the 13,000th vote and the 14,000th vote should occur this afternoon, but what a joyous moment to be with my friend on this experience. I once again thank the leader Mitch McConnell of our party and Harry Reid the majority leader of the Senate for their very generous remarks about both Pat and me. I join Pat in extolling the virtues of those who have made such a difference in our lives. My wife Charlene, our 4 sons, our 13 grandchildren, our great-grandchildren--these are very precious people who have made such a difference in my life and made it possible for me to have good health and spirits throughout all this time and to enjoy thoroughly this experience. I would just add to the remarks of my colleague that tomorrow we hope to have a little celebration in the Agriculture Committee room. Long ago, at the beginning of our careers, Pat and I were situated at the end of the long table that stretched the length of the Agriculture Committee room. Our chairman, Herman Talmadge of Georgia, was at one end with Senator Jim Eastland of Mississippi. I am not certain what the rules of the Senate were at that time, but I recall that frequently both were enveloped in smoke at the end of the room, and it seemed to me that they were, in fact, developing whatever the policy was going to be and making decisions.…”