David Cay Johnston: “when I arrived in the Senate in 1972, the Senator from Rhode Island, Mr. Pell, had already achieved a record which made…”

“when I arrived in the Senate in 1972, the Senator from Rhode Island, Mr. Pell, had already achieved a record which made him known as one of the best and brightest, one of the most accomplished Senators. In the ensuing 23 years, he has built that reputation into a legend. Mr. President, we have heard detailed here by my colleagues these last few moments the details of that record--Pell grants, foreign relations. I will not repeat that record except to say it is historic in proportions and outstanding in its quality and its merit. The remarkable thing to me, Mr. President, is the character of the man who has achieved the record. And I would like to take note today, as Senator Pell announces his retirement, of the kind of person and the kind of civility which he brought not only to this Chamber but to politics in general. Mr. President, at this difficult time in American political history, at a time when a former Governor of New Jersey announced that he would not run for the Senate in large part because of the lack of civility in this body, because of the lack of civility in politics, I think it is important and appropriate we take note of the career of Senator Pell and what he was able to bring to this body in terms of civility. In all those terms of running for office, always very successful, usually by huge margins, it is just absolutely astonishing and remarkable that he never said anything bad or negative about his opponents.”