Remembering Michael B. Enzi
Floor Speech
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Mr. KENNEDY. Madam President, I wanted to say a couple of words about a couple of friends.
I really miss Mike Enzi. I am referring, of course, to Senator Mike Enzi, our colleague who served the people of Wyoming and the people of America for 24 years in this body. We lost him a couple of months ago. I tried to get out to his beautiful State to say good-bye, and I couldn't. I couldn't rearrange things. I just--I miss him.
I was thinking about Mike this morning. I had a meeting over here early--not too early, about 8 o'clock. I walked from my little, overpriced Capitol Hill apartment, through the park, to the Capitol. The park I am talking about is just east of the Capitol. Mike would always walk through the park when he would come to vote. Not always, but many times he would leave his office and get his exercise and enjoy God's beautiful day by walking through the park. I walked with him a couple of times.
Mike was so many things, but if I had to describe him in three words, it would be ``decent,'' ``smart,'' and ``one of the best fishermen I have ever known.''
I want to talk about the decent part and what Mike Enzi meant to me. I mean, I can talk about his background and the fact that he was a giant among Senators and how everybody respected him, but everybody knows that.
When I first got here--I think all new Senators feel this way. The Members of this body are very, very smart, and they are very, very driven. And at least for me, when I first got here, it was a very intimidating place. I think that is true for most Senators. I think if you ask all 100 Senators what it was like their first month here, 99 of them would tell you that they were intimidated. The 100th would be lying because this is an intimidating place.
But, you know, Mike went out of his way, I remember--I guess he could tell I was insecure--to reassure me. You know, every few weeks I would see him in the cloakroom or I would see him in committee, and he would say: Kennedy, you know, you are making a real contribution to this group.
Well, of course, I wasn't, but it made me feel so good and so more sure of myself. And it also made me realize, when I reflect back on it, what a decent thing it was for Mike to do. I mean, he had been here 24 years. He had his pick of chairmanship. I mean, he really was a giant in this body. I was green as a gourd, brandnew; and he didn't have to do that, but he did. I never told him how much that meant to me, and I really regret not telling him that now.
I feel so bad for Diana--just the most wonderful person in the world. I don't know Mike's children--Amy, Emily, and Brad--but I have a feeling, knowing that they are the children of Mike Enzi and Diana, that they are three wonderful Americans.
I just wanted to say that. I was thinking about Mike today. I miss him.
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