Political Quotes

“I am here today to pay respects to Senator Byrd, whose desk is now adorned with a black cloth and flowers. I know we will all long remember Monday as the day we received some very sad news, for on that day, as the morning began, we each learned in our own way that our good friend and colleague Robert Byrd had passed away just a few hours earlier. It should not have been a sudden shock. We all had time to prepare for this moment. We knew he had been having a period of ill health, but it still seemed as if he would be here forever. That is the kind of man Robert Byrd was. A man of great gifts, he loved the written word and could recite his favorite poems from memory--at length. It was amazing how many speeches, reflections, and famous quotations were there at his command, in his quiver, ever ready and waiting for him to recite so he could emphasize an important point about an issue that needed to be made. That is the kind of man Robert Byrd was. While it is true he was the longest serving Member of Congress in history, he was so much more than that. He was the historian of the Senate who knew more about our roots as a legislative body than anyone else. He was a master legislative craftsman, and whenever he spoke, we all listened carefully to see what he had to say about the matter we had taken up for deliberation. That is the kind of man Robert Byrd was. No one had more respect and regard for the Senate and our legislative traditions and procedures than he did.”