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39 | An Outbreak of Candor

O

Bnce de M eR 7, goRton’s coLLeAgues, led by Senator Murray,

rose on the Senate floor to offer farewells. Murray’s was particu-

larly eloquent and gracious:

“As my colleagues know, there is also no greater adversary in the

United States Senate than Slade Gorton. When Senator Gorton took on

an issue everyone knew they had better prepare for an energetic and

spirited fight.... Ask the Clinton Administration and the Justice De-

partment what it is like to differ with Slade Gorton. He was a champion

for Microsoft in its ongoing legal battles with the Department of Jus-

tice.Ask the Bush Administration what it was like to do battle with...

Slade Gorton when he fought his own party to save the National Endow-

ment for the Arts. Slade Gorton also fought for the U.S. Senate. When the

Congress was struggling through a very partisan impeachment process,

it was Slade Gorton who, along with our colleague Senator Lieberman,

stepped forward with a plan for the Senate... .Senator Gorton, on behalf

of the people of Washington State, thank you for your many years of dedi-

cated service—one proud part of a dedicated and accomplished career in

public service.”^1

“The thing that stands out most about Slade,” said Phil Gramm, “is

that he is wise... exactly the kind of person the founders had in mind

when they wrote the Senate into the Constitution.” Judd Gregg of New

Hampshire compared Gorton to Daniel Webster. Jay Rockefeller of West

Virginia called him “a master craftsman” grasping all the nuances of

complex legislation. Domenici, who had served with Gorton for 18 years,

said that “wherever he touches things, either by committee work or by

being called in by our majority leader to discuss issues, he leaves an im-

print.” Gordon Smith of Oregon said he was “the champion of many

things, but I think he was the greatest champion for rural people.... He

stood by farmers. He stood by fishermen. He stood by those who

logged.He fought for them to have a place.”...^2

The accolades caught Gorton by surprise. He was working in his of-