Political Quotes

“I rise today to mark an important milestone for our friend Senator Mitch McConnell, who has now become the longest serving Republican leader, surpassing Senator Bob Dole of Kansas, who served from 1985 to 1996. I told somebody in the press yesterday that Senator McConnell has done it the old-fashioned way: He earned it. He earned this role as our leader and the respect, certainly, that goes along with it. He served as minority leader beginning in 2007, and I had the honor of presenting him with a copy of his maiden speech as Republican leader back then. That was at the beginning of the 110th Congress, and he has served as either majority leader or minority leader ever since. What a historic tenure his has been, and what a privilege it has been for me to serve alongside him since I came to the Senate in 2003, but especially in my role as whip, I have had the opportunity to work with the leader on a daily basis, and it has been one of the highlights of my Senate career. Senator McConnell is trusted. We all know he is whip smart. He is an impressive strategist. He understands the Senate better than anybody else here, and time and again, he has demonstrated what leaders always need to demonstrate, and that is a remarkable degree of humility, sometimes preferring to work for the betterment of the conference and the country behind the scenes rather than enjoy the spotlight on the frontlines.…”