Patrick Leahy: “I have had the privilege of serving with many, many Senators of both parties and with very many whom I have applauded.…”

“I have had the privilege of serving with many, many Senators of both parties and with very many whom I have applauded. Some stand out specially--some for their longevity and some for who they are. Doug Jones stands out for who he is. I think, in listening to his work as a prosecutor--of course, that is near and dear to my heart in my having been a prosecutor--I had never faced what he had. I think of his discussion of the summation he gave in the trial of the people involved with the bombing of the church in Alabama and the killing and maiming of youngsters. In fact, I had a chance to meet one of the survivors of that with Doug, and I saw how she had felt about him all these years later because he had had the courage to stand up and do something that may not have been popular with some in his State, but that had been the right thing to do. In all of the years I have known him here, what he has done has been the right thing to do. Now, I have only had one objection about him. He showed me a picture that was taken when this young man, Doug Jones, was working for Howell Heflin--Judge Heflin, as I recall. They were standing there with these gray beards, and this Senator from Vermont asked: Who is the youngster in the picture? Senator Jones, thank you for bringing that. I know Ann Berry, in my office, got a kick out of that because she had the opportunity to work with you.…”