2020 RACE

MCCONNELL Lamar really does ░░░░░░░░ by the motto he ░░░░░░░░ from his good friend ░░░░░░░░ fellow Tennessean the late ░░░░░░░░ Alex Haley Find the ░░░░░░░░ and praise it I ░░░░░░░░ have leaned on Lamar ░░░░░░░░ wisdom for many years ░░░░░░░░ I think I ve ░░░░░░░░ just as much on ░░░░░░░░ optimism his can do ░░░░░░░░ his ability to look ░░░░░░░░ the bright side and ░░░░░░░░ discern how some more ░░░░░░░░ work can make it ░░░░░░░░ still So I m ░░░░░░░░ to I m going ░░░░░░░░ miss our regular dinners ░░░░░░░░ with our weeknight scheduling ░░░░░░░░ official one drink limit ░░░░░░░░ I said Mr President ░░░░░░░░ weren t exactly party ░░░░░░░░ in our twenties either ░░░░░░░░ here s something else ░░░░░░░░ never changes how reassuring ░░░░░░░░ is to be weighing ░░░░░░░░ thorny question and see ░░░░░░░░ Alexander sitting across the ░░░░░░░░ You know the Senate ░░░░░░░░ be all consuming It ░░░░░░░░ not only our colleagues ░░░░░░░░ their spouses and loved ░░░░░░░░ that all get folded ░░░░░░░░ the extended family around ░░░░░░░░ So look I m ░░░░░░░░ that it turned out ░░░░░░░░ McConnell was not the ░░░░░░░░ important young person that ░░░░░░░░ Alexander met during his ░░░░░░░░ stint in Washington not ░░░░░░░░ a mile Honey Alexander ░░░░░░░░ a remarkable woman She ░░░░░░░░ the force of nature ░░░░░░░░ an incredible partner for ░░░░░░░░ She raised a young ░░░░░░░░ in the governor s ░░░░░░░░ for eight years she ░░░░░░░░ and impressed more voters ░░░░░░░░ Lamar s various campaigns ░░░░░░░░ Lamar himself and she ░░░░░░░░ her own career to ░░░░░░░░ health and philanthropy They ░░░░░░░░ love and mutual respect ░░░░░░░░ everyone Honey is just ░░░░░░░░ the finest in law ░░░░░░░░ U S Senate could ░░░░░░░░ ever had So Elaine ░░░░░░░░ I are grateful to ░░░░░░░░ her our friend as ░░░░░░░░ So as much is ░░░░░░░░ m dreading life in ░░░░░░░░ Senate without my brilliant ░░░░░░░░ even I can begrudge ░░░░░░░░ the silver lining The ░░░░░░░░ distinguished public servant has ░░░░░░░░ than earned the right ░░░░░░░░ spend more days fly ░░░░░░░░ or walking trails in ░░░░░░░░ Smokies more mountains waking ░░░░░░░░ in more mornings waking ░░░░░░░░ in Blackbird Farm and ░░░░░░░░ much larger share of ░░░░░░░░ inaudible and their family ░░░░░░░░ about six years ago ░░░░░░░░ fell to Lamar to ░░░░░░░░ his friend and mentor ░░░░░░░░ Baker Here on the ░░░░░░░░ he quoted another senator ░░░░░░░░ said that when he ░░░░░░░░ to the Senate there ░░░░░░░░ Howard Baker and then ░░░░░░░░ was the rest of ░░░░░░░░ Well my friend for ░░░░░░░░ years has been Lamar ░░░░░░░░ and there s been ░░░░░░░░ rest of us So ░░░░░░░░ m sorry that in ░░░░░░░░ few more weeks it ░░░░░░░░ just be the rest ░░░░░░░░ us left But you ░░░░░░░░ leaving this body and ░░░░░░░░ of us in it ░░░░░░░░ the nation it exists ░░░░░░░░ serve stronger and better ░░░░░░░░ you were here.”