[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Page 18730]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    FAREWELL TO MY SENATE COLLEAGUES

  Mr. CAMPBELL. In addition, Mr. President, since I am retiring at the 
end of this term, after 22 years in public office, let me say in all 
honesty that, regardless of party, I have never in my life met a more 
dedicated, caring group of men and women, who are not only my 
colleagues but also my friends. We may have our disagreements, but in 
each our own way, we know in our hearts that we are trying our best to 
do the right thing for our Nation. And I think we probably all agree 
that the more we adhere to the teachings of the Good Book, as we have 
been admonished many times, the less we would need a law book.
  The people of Colorado have honored me for allowing me to represent 
them in our Nation's Capital--not long by some standards, of course. 
But I have to tell you, on each sunlit morning as I drive to work, or 
each moonlit night, particularly in the wintertime after a fresh snow, 
and I view the dome of this great building as the first or last thing I 
do in my workday, I am just thrilled that I was here for a while and it 
was a part of my life.
  And now I have to tell you how much I admire and respect my 
colleagues. Their friendship and guidance is more than I can ever 
repay. Each is very special to me, and I certainly will not forget 
them. Surely, when newly elected freshmen are sworn in 100 years from 
now, and they come on this floor and open the desks and read the 
bottoms of drawers and the names of all the Senators who have 
historically been sworn in before them, they will see the names of 
Senator Robert Byrd, Senator Ted Stevens, Senator Dan Inouye, Senator 
Ted Kennedy, and Senator Domenici of New Mexico, and they will already 
know when they read those names they are reading the names of Members 
who have served in this body for most of their adult lives and both 
molded the history of this Nation and set a standard of commitment to 
excellence for all to follow.
  Mr. President, I would be remiss if I did not thank the unsung heroes 
of this body, and those are the hard-working staff people without whose 
dedication many of us simply would not get much done. I salute them 
because they are not only our employees, but they are our partners in 
finding solutions in a world that becomes more complicated with each 
passing decade.

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