Honesty in Sen Jeffords Farewell Address Stings

[Rose Siding]

...Time has now got just about all of us. With my retirement and that of Henry Hyde in the House, Chuck Grassley next year will become the last remaining member of the Republican class of 1974 -- an Iron Horse in his own right.
...
But when I came to Washington an entirely different war was being waged in Southeast Asia. Vietnam has colored much of our thinking since. Whether Vietnam had too much or too little influence over the ensuing three decades is a much larger debate. But we would be better served in world affairs today by being less haughty and more humble.

I regret that my departure from Congress, like my arrival, finds our country at war. Young and even not-so-young Americans are sacrificing life and limb, while the rest of us are making little or no sacrifice......

Thirty years from now we could well face the biggest crisis in governance since the Civil War if Congress and the White House do not adopt a more honest approach to governance. The basic compact between generations is being broken....

The beautiful Capitol Dome above us, completed even as the Civil War concluded, should serve to inspire us.

....I hope....that we will soon again be touched by the better angels of our nature.

Mr. President, I wish you and all of my colleagues good luck, and Godspeed.

http://www.vermontguardian.com/dailies/092006/092706.shtml

I believe he is a wise and honest man. Godspeed back at ya', Senator :patriot:

[welshTerrier2]

1. a most startling day ...

when Jeffords marched across the aisle, that was something ...

thanks for posting this ... we should never forget the courage he showed ...

k&r ...

[babylonsister]

2. K&R. Thanks for this, R S. I missed seeing him today but his

words touched me.

[lyonn]

3. K & R

Jeffords was a gutsy and apparently honest representive of the people. Hate to see him go.

[KnaveRupe]

4. Vermonters are lucky to have had him.

A man who took the only honorable action a Republican could possibly take in the toxic GOP of the 21st century - leave that foetid, bloated corpse of a party.

Vermonters are also lucky to have Bernie Sanders who will, I believe, shake up the Senate once he wins Jeffords' seat.

[Bjorn Against]

5. dupe

[Bjorn Against]

6. Jeffords was one of our best Senators

Even though he was more conservative than I would normally like, he still ranked among the top ten Senators in my opinion. He was very courageous to leave the Republican Party, and he even ended up costing them the majority for a short while. I hope people don't dismiss him just because he never wore the D behind his name, because he did more to help the Democratic Party than most Democrats did.

Now of course we will get Bernie Sanders who will be my new favorite Senator in his place, but I wish Jeffords the best in his retirement.

[Vidar]

7. Jeffords is a hero by any truthful definition.

[PaDem]

8. You know what's really sad?

Only two Republican Senators were present for Jeffords speech (Chafee and Grassley). I know better than anyone on this forum that Jim Jeffords is an upstanding, genuine public servant who's integrity is impeccable. All those senators who skipped his speech know that too. It just goes to show you that the culture in Washington is as poisonous as ever. I believe that the current administration is responsible for that cultures regression over the past 6 years. Every senator that was in town should have been present whether Jim Jeffords retired as a Republican, a Democrat or an Independant. He was a terrific public servant when he was a Republican, and he was a terrific public servant when he was an Independant.