David Obey: “Mr. Speaker, I often refer to Archie the cockroach. This is my political bible, and Archie has something for almost…”

“Mr. Speaker, I often refer to Archie the cockroach. This is my political bible, and Archie has something for almost every occasion. One thing he said once was ``Boss, I believe the millennium will come, but there is a long list of people who have to go first.'' I think Charlie misunderstood. Charlie, Archie was not talking about you, and I hope you reconsider. Mr. Speaker, for 40 years Charlie has been at the center of every effort of this institution to live up to the responsibility which it has to the oldest democracy in the world. Democracy can thrive only when all of our citizens believe that there is at least one place, some forum to which they can go in order to make their case and to have their arguments heard. They do not have to win, but they have to know that there is a place where they will receive a fair hearing. When that happens, democracy thrives; and when it does not, democracy dies a little. I think more than anyone in this institution, Charlie Johnson has dedicated himself to see to it that on this floor, democracy thrives.”