Political Quotes

“Before us today is a measure that means a great deal to us in Oregon, naming the new courthouse after Senator Hatfield. I know it is not going to be the last memorial as tribute to Oregon's senior Senator but in many ways it will be the most fitting. I wholeheartedly support this measure. In Oregon we have had a tradition of accepting unique elected officials to Congress and the U.S. Senate, men and women who have been known to take their stand, demonstrating a pioneering spirit which we think defines Oregon today. For more than a generation, Mark Hatfield has been a living exemplar of that tradition. Whether the topic under discussion was the war in Vietnam, when he was the only Governor in the United States who was willing to stand up and raise questions about our policy, to being the only member of his party who was willing to stand up and raise questions about the wisdom of a balanced budget amendment, he has proven time and time again his courage, his independence, and I would say, his vision. He is a man of vision, insight, compassion, and consensus, as the chairman mentioned. The word 'mentor' is overused today, and it would be presumptuous on my part to suggest that Senator Hatfield was my mentor, but he was an inspiration. He has been a friend, and I have been honored to have had an opportunity to be a part of the Oregon delegation, to be a colleague with him at least for these few months.”