Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor my colleague and good friend, Congressman Patrick Kennedy from Rhode Island. I have known and worked with Patrick for more than half of my life now. Patrick and I were first elected to the Rhode Island General Assembly together in 1988. And I must say, I'm having a bit of a hard time imagining coming back to work in January without him serving in the Congress. I still remember hearing about his first run for the State House, the young Kennedy taking on the establishment in Providence. People thought that he didn't have a chance, but they didn't know Patrick very well. He knocked on every door, shook every hand, and fought for every last vote. In the end, that race wasn't even close. In the State House, he immediately showed his independence, refusing to toe the party line, much to the surprise of the House leadership at the time. I remember well one of his early efforts to enact responsible gun control measures, an issue that was and is very important to me as well. Patrick soon arrived in the Halls of Congress, and as the nephew of President John Kennedy and Senator Robert Kennedy and the son of Senator Edward Kennedy, an intimidating legacy followed closely behind him. But Patrick didn't strive to fill anyone else's shoes. He worked hard every day to chart his own course and to fight for his constituents in Rhode Island.…”