House Journal: Page 1912: Thursday, April 29, 1999

	So there's a lot of people to thank but Mr. Rants, good luck! Christopher, I know 

you'll do a good job. I know that as you've grown in your years in this legislature, you 
will continue to grow. I have total faith in you to run an outstanding floor, to work well 
with both sides of the aisle, and I look forward to working hand in hand with you as we 
try to leave this place for the next few months and into the next session. I congratulate 
you and I look forward to working with you closely.
And that would leave you Mr. Speaker. Believe it or not I have the same feelings. 
I've been thinking about what to say but I can't think of anything. So I know what you 
mean when you say that. It's tough. Actually, Representative Schrader, you may have 
had the best one. The day Ron resigned you said the Republican party lost their Mark 
McGuire. That was a very good quote. You were kind of happy about that I know but 
that sums it up better than I can. Speaker Corbett, and that's what you're known as 
whenever you leave here, politically you were just a tremendous leader. Not only for 
our caucus but for the state of Iowa. You have pushed this state forward with your 
aggressive leadership with me hanging onto your belt loops a few times I know, trying 
to slow you down. But you have made a difference for the state of Iowa. We've all made 
a difference for the state of Iowa just simply by being here. But as things go some 
people made more of a difference than others. That's why we're here. I can't tell you 
how much I admire you as a political leader and how much I respect you as a political 
leader. But most importantly, I love you as a friend. And I will miss you. And I'm very 
proud of you for going back home to your family. That's where you need to be right 
now. All of us will miss you here, but you have left your mark and now you get to leave 
your mark with your family, and that's the most important thing.
I will try my level best to heed your advice. It was a tough day yesterday. We've had 
some bruised feelings around here. But I got to see my little boy and that made it a 
little easier. So that brings it home, Mr. Speaker, we're going to miss you. Ron I'm 
going to miss you. I wish you the best. So it's time to go home now. The last days of any 
session people get bruised in here. The family is a little agitated sometimes. We always 
leave here and go home for a few days, and then we feel good again about what we've 
done and things start to come back. And so it is indeed time to go home. We've done 
good work, we've had our fights, we've had some hurt feelings as we always do this 
time of year. But it's time to go home. And of course I would be remiss if I didn't have a 
Jimmy Buffett quote. But before I do that I have been asked to announce that we are 
going to be adjourning sine die here shortly, but it's the intent of the General Assembly 
to reassemble at 2920 Ingersoll Avenue which is Wellman's.
I feel humble to be the Speaker now, and I feel very excited about the opportunities, 
and very excited about going home. That's why we need to get out of here because it's 
time to go home. I found a Jimmy Buffett quote that fits the occasion... there's a song 
called "One Particular Harbor", and in it he sings, "I know I don't get there often 
enough but God knows I try. It's a magic kind of medicine that no one can prescribe." 
And that's what home is about. That's what family's about. That's what we're about as 
this family. It is time for this family to go home to their real family and get ready for 
another good year. You've done a good job, have a great interim. Thank you very much.
SPECIAL PRESENTATION
Speaker Siegrist presented a plaque of appreciation from the Iowa 

© 1999 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa

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