The making of a Statesman, Senator Mitch McConnell.

Here is an op-ed piece from the speech made by Senator Mitch McConnell as Minority Leader on the first day of the 110th Congress. It is very impressive and reveals the making of a true statesman in the likes of Henry Clay, Kentucky's first(?) statesman. Here are excerpts, though I suggest you read the piece in its entirety: "And so, as we open this session, I stake my party to a pledge: when faced with an urgent issue, we will act; when faced with a problem, we will seek solutions, not mere political advantage. ... But drawing on the examples of the past, and conscious of this body's historic role, we can again rise out of our party trenches and work together for the good of all. ... the voters recently sent us a message. They told us to solve the problems that face this nation. ... And they expect us to be men and women of principle. ... Henry Clay was a great Kentuckian. He spent the last two years of his life using the tools of the Senate to save his country. His devotion to the cause of national unity was so great that one rival called it "a crowning grace" to Clay's public life. Clay shows us that divided government need not be divisive. ... And so, working together, forgetting past grievances, forging new alliances, we can solve the difficult issues of the day. This is the purpose of the Senate and the privilege of its members. ... If our steps are guided by this simple principle, then this 110th Congress will have met its responsibility on behalf of all Americans, and strengthened this institution for the unseen challenges that will always lie ahead."