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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Vice President
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release March 21, 2012


REMARKS BY THE VICE PRESIDENT
AT "A CENTURY OF SERVICE" EVENT

Mellon Auditorium
Washington, D.C.


7:23 P.M. EDT


THE VICE PRESIDENT: It's good to see so many of my former colleagues. Whether you believe it or not, I miss you. And I expect you to miss me, but I miss you. (Laughter.)

You know, both Bob and Howard's life bear witness to the Greek philosopher who said, in the 5th century, "Character is destiny." Character is destiny. You know, there's a lot of incredible leadership qualities that Bob Dole has -- and many of you in this room who served like I did with Bob for a long time. But, Bob, the thing I've admired about you most -- in addition to your incredible physical courage -- has been your absolute sense of decency.

I've never witnessed a single time -- and we spent many times together, we traveled together, and I say to the other Senator Dole and to Senator Kassebaum, both good friends, that when we traveled together, no matter where we were, I watched -- I witnessed every single time, all the years we worked together, that where you did one thing always -- you always afforded the other man or woman, whether a political foe or friend, an ordinary citizen, the dignity they deserved.

The first speech Bob made in the United States Senate, on the Senate floor, was April 14, 1969, and it was about disabled American veterans. He championed their cause and ultimately the result was the Americans With Disabilities Act -- 43 million Americans were granted the dignity -- the dignity -- they deserve.

The examples abound in Bob's career -- the Social Security Act -- the Social Security Commission with Pat Moynihan -- 37 million Americans not having to worry about whether they'd lose their dignity because they couldn't afford to maintain themselves.


In 1992 -- Bob, you were the clarion voice in the United States and around the world to stop the butchery of Slobodan Milosevic, and restore the dignity of so many tens of thousands of people who had it stripped from them.

In 1983, you managed the Martin Luther King holiday bill, and you said -- and I was there as you managed that bill, and you said something very straightforward. You looked out at everyone and you said, "No first-class democracy can treat people like second-class citizens." No first -- it was simple for you. It was about decency.

When that bill passed I remember what else you said. You said, "It was a proud day for me." It's now a national holiday.

Well, I think I speak for everyone here who served with you. It was a proud day for me when I made your acquaintance. It was a proud day for me to be able to work with you. And I genuinely -- genuinely appreciate the way you treated me when we worked together. And I admired the way you treated every single solitary person you dealt with.

Howard, you know, I've said this before -- I've never served with any man or woman who possessed more wisdom and integrity than you. I've never known anybody who possessed more wisdom and integrity than you.

You heard me say it many times, Howard -- and I look back in retrospect and I realize it probably hurt you back home -- literally -- at the time. (Laughter.) But I said, there's no one I'd rather work with or enjoyed working with in my entire career than I did with you. It was one of the best experiences of the 36 years I served in the United States Senate.

I think you made such an exceptional leader, Howard, because of your ability to put yourself in the other guy's and the other woman's shoes. I watched you, whether we were traveling abroad together or watched you on the Senate floor -- it was always from the perspective of the other guy, the other woman, and how could you work out an honorable compromise.

My dad used to have an expression, he said, never back another man in the corner where his only way out is over you. You never did that. And what an incredible talent you had. And even though you weren't around at the time Harry Truman said what I'm about to say, I think he could have been talking about you, and he was saying it in a different context when he said, "It's understanding that gives us the ability to have peace. When you understand the other fellow's viewpoint, and he understands ours, then you can sit down and you can work out your differences."

I watched you do it time and time and time and time again. When you saw a problem, your initial instinct, at least from my perspective, was, how do we fix it? 1970 -- you teamed up with Ed Muskie to pass the Clean Air Act -- yes, the Clean Air Act in '70; the Clean Water Act in 1972. You and Muskie.

1973, when you were on the Watergate Committee with Danny Inouye, one of the most honorable men I've ever known in my whole life -- you did something really critical. You restored for the American people the confidence in the integrity of the system -- at no small price to you.

1978 -- I watched you risk your career -- I watched him risk his career as he made sure the Panama Canal Treaty passed. 1987 -- I watched with admiration -- you changed your career, leaving the private sector after having left the Senate, coming back to become the Chief of Staff for Ronald Reagan.

As we used to say in the Senate, forgive me for a point of personal privilege, I'd like to share a story with you. And you may remember this, Howard. Robert Bork had been defeated in the Senate. The President had sent up another nominee, which he subsequently pulled down. And I'm confident it was because Howard told the President -- you ought to call Biden down to the White House and ask his opinion, and give him the 10 names you think you should -- that you're considering.

So the President, God love him, called me down. I sat there in the chair I now sit in as Vice President. You were sitting on the couch. And President Reagan, who was one of the most charming guys, pulled out these cards, and he said, Joe, you tell me what you think the prospects of these people are. I said, look, I said, Howard knows the Senate better than I do. He can tell you.

No, I want to know from your perspective.

So we started reading down the list. And he started off with a very conservative judge from the 5th Circuit, and I said, no, I don't think that will fly, Mr. President. And he went down the list and he came up with Wade McCree -- remember -- I said, he'd go through like a hot knife through butter.

And we went down the list. And he got to -- he said, Tony Kennedy. I said, California appeals court? He said, Yes.

I said, well, Mr. President, I know he's a straight conservative, but I said, I think he'd pass. He said, you're for him then, aren't you? (Laughter.) Remember that?

And I said, no, I didn't say that, Mr. President. (Laughter.) I said, based on what I know, I think he'd pass, and I'd probably vote for him. He said, well, you're for him then. (Laughter.) He said, can I tell him you're for him?

And I said, no, no, Mr. President. I said, I don't know enough about him to make -- because I got down that road once before. (Laughter.) And I turned to you and I said, Howard, tell him. Tell him. And Howard said something accommodating, and with that, President Reagan said to me, Joe, you got an extra minute? I said, sure do, Mr. President.

We stood up, he grabbed me under the arm, walked around the couches to the side door that goes into the private dining room that's there, opened the door -- and who was standing there but Tony Kennedy. (Laughter.) He said, Tony, Joe's for you. (Laughter.) Remember that, Howard?

I went back to Howard and I said, whoa, man, this man is good. And I don't think it was all the President's idea. (Laughter.) But you picked a good one, and I was for him.

Look, the fact of the matter is that I can say without fear of contradiction by the press, by anyone who ever served with you, by historians -- and I presume to speak for every man or woman you ever spoke for -- you ever served with -- that it was a great honor and a genuine privilege to serve with each of you, to learn from each of you. I know you wished I'd learned more, Bob -- (laughter) -- but to learn from each of you -- and quite frankly, just simply to know you both.

It's an honor to be here tonight. Thank you. (Applause.)

END 7:33 P.M. EDT