Richard K. Armey: “Every now and then I think in our lives we ought to take time. We ought to just pause and reflect about the good people…”

“Every now and then I think in our lives we ought to take time. We ought to just pause and reflect about the good people we are privileged to know, the good people with whom we are privileged to work. In my life, in all the years, either in academics or here, never has there been more such a fine person I have been privileged to know and with whom to work than Bill Archer. He has been, for all of us, a source of encouragement, of optimism. On some occasions when we needed it, what should I say, Dutch uncle-ish criticism, critique and so forth. But Bill Archer is an interesting fellow in the way that he could give you the kind of critique you may need at a moment, and, at the same time, make you feel encouraged by it. We are all going to miss Bill. I would like to share two observations in particular. We talk about how we related to him, what he meant to us as a colleague, fellow Members of Congress. I would like to reflect for a moment on what he has meant to so many of the young people that have come through here. My observation has been all too many times, people come to Washington a young idealist and leave an old cynic. Bill Archer has beaten the odds on that one. He came here a young idealist, and he is leaving here as a not so young idealist.”