Thomas Daschle: “I had the privilege, the honor, of working with Paul Simon for 12 years. He brought a decency, a sense of humor, to his…”

“I had the privilege, the honor, of working with Paul Simon for 12 years. He brought a decency, a sense of humor, to his life and to his work that I think has never been matched. True to his roots as an investigative journalist, he had a clear eye for injustice and an untiring devotion to using power to improve the lives of Americans. At the same time, he recognized that in order to maintain citizens' support for Government, we needed to preserve their faith in the political process. Paul Simon was among the more vocal and effective advocates of campaign finance reform, and his leadership helped clear the way for the McCain-Feingold bill, passed 5 years after his departure. Even after his retirement, Paul Simon remained committed to raising citizens' understanding of and faith in Government and politics through his writings and his work to begin Southern Illinois University's Public Policy Institute. Anyone who knew or worked with Paul will miss his probing intellect, his self-deprecating wit, his integrity, and his leadership.”