Political Quotes

“I was personally impressed by these articles, the first written by former Secretary of the Navy Jim Webb appearing today in the Wall Street Journal, and the second in the Washington Times, written by Georgie Anne Geyer. I have not sat down with Ms. Geyer in some time, but in my course of these 23 years in the Senate, I have had the opportunity to be interviewed by her. She is a very thoughtful and careful journalist. In this article she recounts that she spent some 10 months in country covering that war. Jim Webb, of course, was a highly decorated combat Marine officer: Navy Cross, second highest decoration next to the Medal of Honor; Silver Star; Purple Heart; and, coincidentally, he was a naval aide to me and to John Chafee as a young captain and major in the Marine Corps in that period of time. He briefed me prior to trips I would take to Vietnam. Through the years I have valued his friendship enormously. I also had another personal experience. I remember one day there was a knock on my Senate door and in walked Jan Scruggs, who asked if I would help his group in their struggles to build the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. I cannot think of a greater honor I have had as a Member of the Senate than working, as I often refer to myself, as a private in the rear ranks of Jan Scruggs' group of individuals, who conceived and put together this magnificent memorial to the men and women who sacrificed so much in that conflict. I think I worked with him 6 to 7 years.…”