On the recordJanuary 26, 1994
my friend and former colleague, Senator Bob Taft of Ohio, who passed away over the congressional recess, carried on a remarkable family tradition of public service with great distinction. I imagine that having a grandfather serve as President of the United States and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and a father who is regarded as one of the outstanding Senators of all time can be a bit intimidating. But Bob Taft never put on airs, and he never took anything for granted. Although he probably could have started his political career at the top, he did not. Only after serving in the Ohio State Legislature for 8 years did he come to Washington to serve first in the House for 2 years and then in the Senate for 6. I had the pleasure of campaigning in Ohio with Bob on several occasions. And it did not take me long to figure out why Bob was a great public servant. He knew everyone in the State. At every stop, Bob would wade into the crowds, shaking hands, calling everyone by their name, and remembering the issues that mattered to them. Here in the Senate, Bob's colleagues regarded him as a 'lawyer's lawyer,' and for his ability to write clear and concise legislation that actually did what it was supposed to do. I was deeply honored when Senator Taft's son, Ohio Secretary of State Bob Taft, asked me to speak at his father's funeral, where I extended the sympathies of the U.S. Senate, and of his many friends in this Chamber.
