Political Quotes

“I have the great pleasure today to talk about a friend. It is a bittersweet moment because that friend is choosing not to stay with us here in the Senate. He didn't run for reelection. He is going back home to Utah, but I want to take a minute to talk about his incredible accomplishments here as a public servant over a 42-year career--over 4 decades here in the Senate. Some people come here because they want to be somebody. Orrin Hatch came here because he wanted to do something for people, and boy, he has done that. Time after time, he has stepped up to serve the American people. When Senator Hatch retires, the Senate will be losing not only our President pro tempore--that means that he is fourth in line to be President, and he is the President pro tempore here of the Senate, the most senior Member--but we are also going to lose somebody who, over the years, has been a mentor for a lot of us because he is a person who is committed to legislating, to making a difference in the lives of the people of Utah and the people of our great country. He has been a Statesman. At a time of bare-knuckle politics, isn't it nice to have that model? That is Orrin Hatch. Back in 1976, a blue-collar kid from Pennsylvania, who had been a card-carrying union member, of which he is proud, and later went to law school and in Salt Lake City became a successful litigation attorney, decided to run for the Senate. He was running against a 3-term incumbent.…”