Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I would like to just begin by acknowledging and thanking Pastor Bob Thune for his opening prayer this morning. It should come as no surprise, based on the last name, we are related. He is my nephew. I have been blessed through the years with a rich, spiritual heritage, as has he. His father, my big brother, was the spiritual trailblazer in our family. He went on to pastor churches in the Midwest, on the West Coast for about 50 years. His son Bob, my nephew, is carrying on that great tradition. Bob pastors a church, as was noted, called Coram Deo Church in Omaha, NE. Coram Deo is Latin for ``the presence of God.'' Bob, on a weekly basis, proclaims the truth of the gospel from the pulpit. But on a daily basis, he and his congregation have, at the center of their daily lives, the presence of God as they seek to have an impact on their community and their region and on this world. Bob is, in many respects, as it says in the Book of Acts, fulfilling God's purpose for his generation. I am grateful for the spiritual heritage that we share, for the way that he continues that today. I want to encourage him in his work and just acknowledge how grateful we are that he was able to join us here in the U.S. Senate and offer that opening prayer which, on a daily basis, is offered by our Chaplain, Barry Black, who has been a great inspiration to me on so many levels and leads us in a weekly Bible study here on Capitol Hill for Senators.…”