Political Quotes

“Mr. President, over the weekend, Indiana lost a giant in Richard G. Lugar. Senator Lugar spent 36 years as a Member of this body, and I rise today to celebrate his life, which made the world a better, safer place to live. I had the pleasure in the early 2000s to work on Senator Lugar's staff, and I had a front row seat to history, watching a true statesman at work. He stood by me as I took my oath right here in this Chamber. I will never forget his support of me and of so many others throughout the years. Senator Lugar's reserved and quiet demeanor sometimes might have led people to believe he was something less than competitive. In truth, he was one of the most competitive people I have ever encountered. Senator Lugar was a runner, and his office competed every year in the Capital Challenge, the competitive race between legislative staffs. Senator Lugar had a member of his staff actually track everyone's time and their improvement, or lack thereof, from year to year. I think that spreadsheet still exists somewhere today. When I was going through the hiring process to be a legislative assistant in the Senator's office, I went through the normal series of questions--my academic background, my professional experiences, my policy knowledge, my interest in working in the office. But at the very end of the interview, the Senator asked me a pointed question.…”