Political Quotes

“I have known Bill Goodling for 24 years. When I arrived in Congress, he had already been here 2 years. We served together on the Committee on the Budget and the Education and Labor Committee, now the Committee on Education and the Workforce. I number him among my very, very best friends here in the Congress of the United States. I have told this story many times but, Bill, I am going to tell it one more time. In November 1994, about 2 o'clock in the morning, I realized that I had survived the election, but I was a survivor in Cornwallis' army rather than Washington's army, and for the first time in 40 years the Republicans had taken control of the House of Representatives. I had been Bill Goodling's chairman of a subcommittee for about 6 or 8 years, and I realized that now Bill Goodling was going to be my Chairman, not of subcommittee, but of full committee. So I felt I should call him. I called him at 7 o'clock in the morning the day after election. One should call no politician that early in the morning the day after election but he is a farmer and I knew he would be up. So I called him and did not identify myself. I merely said, 'Mr. Chairman.' And he responded, 'How sweet it is.' Mr. Speaker, it has been sweet working with Bill. Bill really believes in education.”