Political Quotes

“I wish to pause for a moment to pay respect to one man, Eric Ueland, my chief of staff. Tucked away in a corner of Eric Ueland's office is a well-worn copy of the book ``Master of the Senate.'' This comes as no surprise to those of us who know him. In fact, my staff used to joke that he was reading his own biography. Eric is gifted with a passion for history, a thirst for knowledge, and a high reverence for the Senate. These talents have made him a uniquely capable adviser and leader in the majority leader's office. He contextualizes every Senate debate, recalls appropriate precedent, and draws parallels to moments in history. A nameplate is discretely displayed on his desk, and the name it bears: ``Information.'' As the press corps knows, information is his trade and the enigmatic quote his trademark. How do you pay tribute to a man who is the first to know of Britney Spear's pregnancy and Don Rumsfeld's resignation? Eric delights in a secret and encyclopedic knowledge of popular culture. Copies of People magazine and the entertainment gossip columns are strewn in the back seat of his classic car. And he knows everything about the media. Yet he doesn't have home Internet access or even cable TV. How does he do that? Eric finds unique and, some would say, unusual pleasure in memorizing the complex rules, the arcane precedents, and early history of the Senate.”