Political Quotes

“Madam President, there is one more thing that I would like to do. And I want to thank so many people for their kind words--so many ``kinds'' today. I am so grateful for that. But I have one more really important thing that I want to do before I relinquish the microphone this afternoon, and that is to honor a true public servant, my longtime State director and dearest friend, Teresa Plachetka. I am going to start with a bold statement. And, by the way, Teresa has been with me for 42 years--42, not 24--42 years. And I want to start by making a bold statement: There is no one who has done more for the people of the State of Michigan and for Team Stabenow than Teresa Plachetka. The first time I met Teresa, I was in my first term in the Michigan State House. She was my first graduate student intern. She graduated, and I hired her as my first policy staffer in 1982 for the State house mental health committee. She has been at my side ever since for every decision, big and small, for 42 years. I just gave my farewell speech on the floor, and it is so fitting that Teresa is here because what a journey this has been. We all have policy experts and communications experts and experts to run our campaigns and experts in technology, but I am not sure anyone else has all of those skills in one person. I got her. She is truly one of a kind.…”