House Journal: Page 1521: Friday, April 12, 2002
that’s very, very special. An amazing, dedicated group of people that we’re all
privileged to serve with each other. Even the Senate fits into that category.
The family that we have here is very big, as you know. Like everyone has said, I
know I’m going to forget to name people, but the Central Staff Agency, the Doormen,
the Pages, the people in all the offices that we depend on, Margaret and Gayle and
Kathy down in the Well. We have a great, great amount of people here that we are
very blessed to have with us. The caucus staffs that both leaders have mentioned that
make us good: Allison and Jeff and Lon and Mary and Stefani and Lou and Kellie and
Pat and Brad and Jason and Bruce, and on the Democratic side, Mark and Carolyn and
Paulee and Tom and Ed and Joe and Mary and Jenifer and Anna and Dean and Dave.
This place wouldn’t run without you. And we don’t say that enough. Without you, this
place wouldn’t be as good as it is and we do appreciate it.
You look around the Chamber and I could say something about everybody, but you
can’t do that. Representative Boddicker, I want the continuing e-mails about your
son’s wrestling career. Even though I’m not going to be here, I want to know how he’s
doing. You’re such a remarkable group of people that come here to do the right thing.
We have our partisan battles, but you’re here to do the right thing and that’s what is so
very impressive about you. After all these years, last year I finally did have a
revelation about why it’s like herding cats around here. It took me seventeen years.
As you know, last year was pretty tough. We went into caucus toward the end, and we
were in there about two hours. After my caucus performed open heart surgery without
any anesthesia, I went back to my office. I was saying, why don’t they understand
this? Why don’t they see it the same way? And it might’ve been Chuck Gipp that said,
"Well, you’ve got to understand. They’re all leaders back home." And I’d never thought
of it that way, but we’re all individual leaders back home. We have leaders here that
you elect and we’re flattered by that, but you’re all leaders back home. I guess
sometimes we lose track of that. That’s why it’s challenging to build a consensus here
because you all represent different people and you’re all leaders in your own
communities. That was a good revelation for me to have after seventeen years, how
important you all are back home because I think we lose sight of that.
But the bottom line here is friendship and special friendships. We’re all friends,
and obviously, some of us are more special. You get to know people even better.
Yesterday, somebody from my first class called me. I was in my office and Mike
Peterson called me, the former Democratic State Party Chairman. Mike called me to
wish me well. It was very nice of him. He works for a big company now so I asked him
to get me a PAC contribution, which I think he’s going to do. I talked to Ron Corbett
tonight. You forge these very special friendships and don’t ever lose that. I look at
John Connors and remember the talks that we’ve had and what he means to the
institution. Representative Cohoon kind of made me mad this year. He didn’t bring
any chips; he brought us health food. Janet Metcalf and I came in together. We have
the bond of the Class of ’84. Mike Cormack, who some days I wanted to throw out the
window but nonetheless, he was always here to fight for his principles. Brad Hansen, a
former student of mine, despite that, has been successful. I would feel good if my
influence on Brad had one iota to do with his success here. And the leadership team
that I have on my side, and the Democratic leadership team that is just as important -
Steve Sukup, Chuck Gipp, Russ Teig, who we all miss, Danny Carroll, Libby Jacobs,
Bill Dix. People that gave me counsel. People that tried to make me be a better person
and tried to make sure what direction we should go. Those are people that will be with
us forever.
© 2002 Cornell College and
League of Women Voters of Iowa
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