Political Quotes

“I rise today to pay one final tribute to Richard Steele, a close friend and devoted public servant to our environment who passed away recently. He left behind a loving family, many friends--and a legacy that will be remembered and appreciated by countless generations in the form of the Hanford Reach National Monument, which exists today in no small part due to his tireless advocacy. Rich dedicated decades of his life fighting to protect and preserve the Hanford Reach, and he brought to that fight--along with his many other talents--a true fisherman's patience and persistence. Year after year, decade after decade, he never let up when it came to pushing for Federal protections to ensure the waters he loved, and that he loved to share with others, would remain wild, free, and beautiful for years to come. One of his particular joys--and talents--was to bring locals, politicians, and dignitaries on his boat to tour the waters and to win them over to his cause. You see, Rich didn't just know how to fish for trout; he knew how to fish for support, and he knew a boat tour of the beautiful wilds of Washington State was pretty good bait. Once he had a live one on the line, reeling them in was always easy; he just let the river do its thing. As he told a reporter once, ``I always had an unfair advantage, how can you not want to protect this?'' Like so many others, I had the privilege of joining Rich on his boat, the Can Do II, for a tour of the mighty Columbia.…”