David Obey: “I simply cannot believe that Paul is gone. I first got to know him when we both served on a task force to rewrite the…”

“I simply cannot believe that Paul is gone. I first got to know him when we both served on a task force to rewrite the code of ethics in the nineties. That was not an easy job. Paul's performance was solid. It was thoughtful. In all the time that we discussed those issues before we brought our recommendations to the floor, I never saw him for one moment raise a partisan angle on any ethics question, and I never saw him question anyone else's motives. What I did see was a man who understood that ethics is important, and yet because it involves the rules of the House, it can also be exceedingly complicated. I never saw Paul take a single cheap shot in all the time that he served on that committee. That is one of the reasons that he became one of my favorite Republicans in this place, because there are very few people on either side of the aisle who aren't willing to take a cheap shot at the other side, even if it results in damage to the institution. That's where Paul drew the line. He didn't mind seeking partisan advantage. That's what all of us try to do from time to time. But what he always tried to do, in my judgment, was to seek whatever advantage he saw without taking advantage of the institution at the same time. That's an important line to draw in an institution like this. I think we can all be grateful for the job that Paul did for as long as God allowed him to do it. I simply cannot believe he is gone.”