Political Quotes

“I rise today, as have my Senate colleagues, to pay tribute to the distinguished Senate majority leader, Senator Robert Dole of Kansas. Mr. President, the great American patriot Henry Clay, who also served as a Member of the House and the Senate, once said, ``Of all the properties which belong to honorable men, not one is so highly prized as that of character.'' He was right. As imperfect beings, we all strive to cultivate virtuous qualities--we endeavor to be kind; we are mindful to be courteous; in trying times, we struggle to maintain a sense of humor, but character, as the fiery turn-of-the-century evangelist, Dwight L. Moody, once so bluntly defined it, ``is what you are in the dark.'' Character is not something one can put on, like a new set of clothes. It is not something one trots out on special occasions, like courtly manners. It is not something one can pretend to possess. Yet, despite its ethereal quality, character is unmistakably apparent. It is the steady hand in times of crisis, the quiet voice in times of stress. It is courage in the face of adversity, strength of purpose, when all else seems to fail. It is a ``property,'' as Henry Clay put it, whose value is beyond measure, a characteristic no amount of money can buy. Mr. President, Robert Dole is a man of character. A man who has remained true to his convictions; a man unafraid to defend his beliefs; a man who says what he thinks, and means what he says.”