Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I wish to honor our former colleague Senator Richard Lugar, who passed away recently and whose memorial service was this week. As the longest serving Senator from his beloved Indiana, Richard Lugar dedicated 36 years of service to his State, the Senate, and our Nation. He was a dear friend and mentor who already had 22 years of Senate service when I joined the Senate. What I remember most fondly about Senator Lugar is that he combined an extraordinary intellect with good humor. He knew so much about foreign policy and was also so approachable that new Senators like myself never hesitated to seek his guidance. Senator Lugar's commitment to bipartisanship guided his engagement on issues from international affairs to agriculture. He sought compromises to achieve results, regardless of the political calculus. He eschewed polarization and cautioned colleagues that, ``whatever is won today through division is usually lost tomorrow.'' Instead he sought to foster good will to bring together opposing sides. He continued this effort after his service in the Senate with the Lugar Center, a nonprofit public policy institution that seeks to improve the quality of debate and bridge ideological divides on important issues. It is this approach that led to great success in international affairs from South Africa to the Philippines. Senator Lugar viewed support for democracy and development as a stabilizing force to counter international threats.…”