Richard Hudson: “You may notice my sharp jacket tonight. It is a madras jacket worn in honor of my dear friend and colleague, Howard…”

“You may notice my sharp jacket tonight. It is a madras jacket worn in honor of my dear friend and colleague, Howard Coble. Howard was not always known for just his colorful jackets. Back when he first came to town, Howard Coble was known for his many colorful suspenders. In fact, I don't know how many he had, but it was well- known that he would always have those bright, colorful suspenders on. Next he became known for wearing distinctive hats. In fact, in the nineties, Tim Russert used to refer to Howard Coble as ``the man with the hat.'' Then it was Tim Russert's son, Luke, who first noticed the madras jackets a few years ago, and he actually put on his Twitter account that the jacket Howard Coble is wearing tonight looked like ``an exploding turtle.'' So the Russert family has long acknowledged Howard's unique sense of style, as have many of his constituents and his friends here in Congress. Howard Coble has been known for his sense of humor. He once remarked that if he put on a brandnew suit, it would immediately look rumpled like an unmade bed. Howard has always had a self-deprecating humor and a personality that draws people to him. Everyone loves him. I learned that as a candidate for Congress, Mr. Speaker, because I inherited three counties from Howard Coble's former district, so when I would go ask people for votes, I had to immediately tell them I wasn't running against Howard Coble because, otherwise, they didn't want to talk to me.…”