[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 167 (Wednesday, December 21, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S14313-S14314]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   ON THE PASSING OF EUGENE McCARTHY

  Mr. OBAMA. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the memory of Senator 
Eugene McCarthy, who passed away earlier this month.
  I did not have the pleasure of knowing him. But I know how powerful 
and stirring he was--a man who was not afraid to speak the truth. A man 
who, in 1968, had already resided in the corridors of power for nearly 
20 years, but had not been corrupted by them.
  Accomplished and beloved by his constituents, Senator McCarthy could 
have rested on his laurels and kept his views to himself; he could have 
toed the line in the name of unity and loyalty to the president.
  But that was not in Senator McCarthy's character. There is something 
about Minnesota that produces people and politicians who care more 
about what is right than about being liked. In this tradition, he was a 
clarion voice of courage and conviction.
  Senator McCarthy retired after 22 years of service in Congress, but 
he never abandoned his beliefs or moderated his tone. He was not 
interested in conforming to society's expectations

[[Page S14314]]

for an elder statesman. Nor was he afraid to turn his wit against his 
adversaries when discussing their policies with which he disagreed.
  While he took more than his share of criticism, he stuck to his 
principles and gave as good as he got. The Senate is better because 
Eugene McCarthy served here, and the country is as well. He will be 
missed.

                          ____________________