Political Quotes

“I rise to honor our colleague the senior Senator from Nebraska, Ben Nelson, upon his retirement from the Senate. This will become effective after the first of the year. For 12 years, Ben has been a valued member of the Democratic caucus and an exemplary Senator for Nebraska and the country. But his life in public service dates back to his youth. He spent his college days serving his Nebraska community in another way--as a lay minister. But eventually he chose law over ministry and went to law school. He attended law school at the University of Nebraska, where he got his bachelor's and master's degrees. He spent many years practicing insurance law. He served as director of the Nebraska Department of Insurance and as president of the Central National Insurance Group. Then, in 1990, he was elected Governor of Nebraska. Four years later, he was reelected--with almost 75 percent of the vote--to become the first Nebraska Governor in 20 years to win a second term. So it was not a surprise when he ran for the Senate in 2000. He won, even though President Bush took Nebraska handily. It is easy to see Ben Nelson truly possesses the same independent spirit as his Nebraska constituents. He served his constituents with distinction in the Senate and, of course, when he was Governor and as insurance commissioner. He has always provided a strong voice for fiscal responsibility, and he has been terrific for the State's energy industry, agricultural sector, and even tourism.…”