[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 145 (Friday, October 7, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 7, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                      HONORING SENATOR METZENBAUM

  Mr. DURENBERGER. Madam President, for the last 16 years I have been 
privileged to work with one of the most sincere, outspoken, and 
effective advocates for liberalism in America.
  A little over 3 months from now, Howard Metzenbaum will ride into 
Senator history--leaving behind a record of controversy and commitment.
  My colleagues know that Howard and I were rarely on the same side of 
public policy issues. But there is a more important respect in which we 
were in perfect agreement: We both went to work every morning with the 
idea of making America a better place. And we both knew that being in 
the Senate gave us a wonderful opportunity to try to make that happen.
  My colleague Paul Simon has called Howard ``the Tiger of the 
Senate.'' And that is an accurate description. When you look around 
Washington, DC, you see a lot of paper tigers--big bundles of noisy 
press releases and not a lot of intellectual muscle-power to back them 
up.
  Make no mistake: When it comes to being a tiger, Howard Metzenbaum is 
the real McCoy.
  When he says something, he backs it up with the force of character of 
someone who sees the lives of real people--in Ohio and all over 
America--riding on the success of his efforts.
  On issues ranging from consumer protection and civil rights to 
product liability and antitrust policy, Howard has blazed a fierce 
trail throughout his 18 years in the Senate. The new Senators--of all 
parties and all ideologies--who come here in January should learn from 
character and the example of Howard Metzenbaum.
  The lesson of Howard's career is this: Politics is not about press 
releases. It is not about spin.
  It is about the most important thing of all--the lives of real men, 
women, and children.
  In an age of irony, Howard Metzenbaum has bucked the tide. He has 
continued to believe that it is OK to care--to care about people, and 
to care about your efforts to help them.
  As Members of the Senate--and as Americans--we stand in his debt for 
this powerful example. And I join my colleagues in wishing him and 
Shirley all happiness in the years ahead.

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