David Thomas: “I am tempted to begin this by saying that everything I have heard does not sound very familiar because I know Vic Fazio…”

“I am tempted to begin this by saying that everything I have heard does not sound very familiar because I know Vic Fazio, and Vic Fazio is a friend of mine. I first got to know Vic Fazio before he was in elective office. Then when he was first elected in the California Assembly, I served with him as a colleague. We were both a little bit younger then, and we actually could play basketball as an exercise. He and I have been on the opposite side of a number of issues over the years, and we both came back to Congress in the 96th Congress in 1978, he, as he was in the California Assembly, a member of the majority, and I was a member of the minority. For 16 years, that relationship continued. During the 16 years, when he was in the majority and I was in the minority, he was always fair. We could always get the straight story. He would tell us what he could and then tell us, sometimes, if he could not tell us. But if he could, he would. In this business that is as good as gold. He was and is a professional.”