John Kerry: “I want to pause for a few moments to acknowledge that many of us, particularly those of us from Massachusetts, are…”

“I want to pause for a few moments to acknowledge that many of us, particularly those of us from Massachusetts, are feeling the loss this week of one of our Nation's most savvy political strategists and one of our most contributing and admirable citizens. Kirk O'Donnell was a man who lived his life in a way that proved not only can you work in politics without losing your soul but that politics from Fields Corner in Dorchester to city hall in the heart of Boston, all the way up to the lofty office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, can in fact be a most honorable profession. Mr. President, we all know that we live in very difficult political times, where endless cynicism seems to find too many citizens turning away from political dialog that they seem to find disappoints them. But Kirk O'Donnell, through every fiber of his body and in every step that he took in life, reminded us that political parties can stand for a set of ideals and that politics can still be an art form mastered in order to advance the common good--not individual good, but the common good. That is what Kirk always fought for.”