[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Page 2965]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        COMMENDING HOWARD BAKER

  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, just before we went into recess on February 
17, the distinguished majority leader introduced, and the Senate passed 
by unanimous consent, a resolution commending the public life of our 
dear former colleague, Senator Howard Baker. I did not have the 
opportunity to speak to this resolution then, and I wish to add a few 
words today.
  I commend the current majority leader for taking a few moments from 
our busy Senate schedule that Friday to introduce and pass a resolution 
commending a former majority leader, my former colleague and dear 
friend, Howard Baker, for his lifetime of public service. All of us who 
know Ambassador Baker, or have had the great pleasure of serving under 
him, on either side of the aisle, will see this as certainly the least 
controversial act this Senate will pass this year.
  I have known Howard Baker my entire Senate career--there are very few 
here who came to this body before Senator Baker did, back in 1966. And 
to know Howard Baker is to know consummate Southern grace and manners, 
to know a man who it is almost as much a pleasure to disagree with as 
it is to agree with. In my many years serving with Senator Baker, and 
under him, as my Republican Leader, when I first arrived, and as the 
majority leader, during the first 6 years of the Reagan administration, 
I had a few occasions where we stood on different sides of an issue, 
but many more where we did the people's business side-by-side. Our 
cause was always stronger when we had the intelligence and perseverance 
of Howard Baker on our side, and, on the few occasions where we did 
disagree, my arguments always had to be stronger because of the 
scrutiny and deliberation of my colleague's same intelligence and 
perseverance.
  Majority Leader Baker did such a superb job during the first 6 years 
of the Reagan administration that President Reagan wisely chose him as 
his Chief of Staff for the last, often difficult, 2 years of his 
administration. It was a wise choice.
  A few years later, Howard Baker made his own very wise choice. After 
being widowed, he married another one of our most distinguished 
colleagues, former Senator Nancy Landon Kassebaum. I can honestly say 
that I have never seen a better collaboration between two Senators I 
hold in the highest regard.
  As we all know, our distinguished former colleague's service to the 
Nation was not over yet. He served our Nation with great distinction in 
one of the most important ambassadorial positions we have, the United 
States Ambassador to Japan.
  Mr. President, when they teach civics in our primary and secondary 
schools today, the textbook writers would be wise to have a lesson on 
the career of Howard Baker. His character and example, and the policies 
he advanced, would be admired by all who, unlike some of us, have not 
had the opportunity to know this man in person. The textbook writers 
should wait a while longer, however, as I hope and expect that Howard 
Baker's life of public service continues, for the good of the Nation 
and the good of all of us. I heartily co-sponsor this resolution and 
offer my warmest congratulations to former Senator Baker, and his wife, 
former Senator Kassebaum.

                          ____________________