Political Quotes

“thank you very much. I am happy to be here today. My plane arrived on time, which I was a little nervous about because I was afraid I would miss the opportunity to join our colleagues in talking about the great Senator from the State of South Carolina to whom we pay tribute today and whose recent accomplishment of becoming the longest serving Member of this Chamber is one we all, I think, celebrated from a distance a couple of days ago. When I was elected to the Senate in 1994, I found myself, after the election was over, given the first chance really to reflect on what it meant to serve here and the people that I would have the chance to serve with. I think during an election campaign you only focus on the issues and the opposition and the campaign. But when it was finished, I was able to think about the remarkable chance I was going to have to come to this Chamber and be a part of a Chamber filled with so much history and have the opportunity to serve with such a distinguished Member as is the Senator from South Carolina and the Senator from North Carolina and others who have been here and who have made their marks. No sooner did I arrive--I was listening to the Senator from Alaska describe his first meeting with Senator Thurmond. In my first meeting with him, I was amused because he came up and said he was stunned that anybody like me could get elected from the State of Michigan.”