We worked very well with Mark Sanford. We stood shoulder to shoulder fighting for the principles that we believe in. But another person that stood there as well was a legislator, State Senator Larry Grooms.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
It was easy for Sanford to have a bully pulpit as governor. It's another thing to be in the trenches, having to face leadership, and say, 'No, that's not a conservative position, that's not what we're doing.'
I was a Georgia state legislator for a great many years.
I worked in the Senate in the 1970s. I worked for the Labor, Public Welfare Committee, and we had Ted Kennedy and my old boss, Bill Hathaway, and Walter Mondale.
I was raised in the Washington household of my grandfather Senator Thomas P. Gore of Oklahoma, and have known politicians intimately all my life.
I think any advocate who is effective has fully acquainted himself or herself with the legislator they are going to meet. Know what committees they are on, what issues they are interested in, all in an effort to build a bridge for communicating with them.
I was a very, very good congressman.
I began my legal career working for Byron White, the last Coloradan to serve on the Supreme Court, and the only justice to lead the N.F.L. in rushing. He was one of the smartest and most courageous men I've ever known.
I was elected six times to represent southern Arizona, in the State Legislature and then in Congress.
People may have their opinions about Senator Helms, but he was highly effective and he took care of his constituency. I learned all those lessons from him, and I bring a great deal to the table because of that.
I was the only person of color in the Senate, and my colleagues were Strom Thurmond, Jesse Helms and Trent Lott.