Thomas Daschle: “Erskine Bowles will soon leave his post as White House Chief of Staff. He will return to his beloved North Carolina. He…”

“Erskine Bowles will soon leave his post as White House Chief of Staff. He will return to his beloved North Carolina. He returns to his family; his remarkable wife, Crandall, and his exceptional children, Sam, Annie and Bill. If you know Erskine Bowles, you know that his heart has never left them through all his time in Washington. His home and his family are the pride of his life. But as Erskine prepares to leave his post, he has a right to feel deeply proud of all he has accomplished here, as well. In so much of the progress made during President Clinton's Administration, you see the steady hand and clear vision of Erskine Bowles. He came to the Capital little known to most of us. He had no experience in the so-called 'ways' of Washington. Yet before long, the President realized Erskine was the man for the toughest job in town. The President's confidence in this choice has been soundly ratified. Erskine leaves here a true friend to every one of us in the Democratic Caucus. He has earned the respect and admiration of Senators on both sides of the aisle. Most importantly, he has put the interests of the country ahead of the problems and politics of public life. By giving of himself--his time and his talents--millions of American families are better off today than they would have been had Erskine never come to Washington. Jobless men and women now support growing families. Those workers have higher wages. Those wages have helped fuel a roaring economy.”