Political Quotes

“I also want to say a few words about another one of the Senate's most distinguished and legendary Senators, and that is Ted Kennedy. The last day of our session was extremely frantic. We were trying to do certain things. Well, we had a lot we were trying to get finished, not the least of which was the domestic spying measure, which was so intense. So we had a lot of votes during that week, and that day we had votes, but in the rush to close the session a milestone occurred that went unremarked and it should not have. But that is the way things are here in the Senate sometimes. Senator Kennedy cast his 15,000th vote--15,000 votes. He cast his 15,000th rollcall vote the day we adjourned for summer vacation. There is very little I can say to fully honor Senator Kennedy for his 45 years of Senate service. He has been someone whom I have followed so very long. And to think that I have the opportunity to serve with one of the Kennedys is very important to me. My office, right across the hall here, has a letter I received in 1961. Senator Kennedy had not been inaugurated as yet, but he had been elected and he was working from where we have our Tuesday luncheons, the LBJ Room. That was his office before he became President. He sent me a letter. I was at Utah State University and I formed the first Young Democrats Club in the history of the State. It might not sound like much, but to me it was important at the time and President Kennedy recognized that by writing me a letter.”