During his farewell address to the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, incoming Secretary of State John Kerry thanked staffers, Capitol Hill Subway operators, the Capitol Police and other assorted personnel who assist in the day-to-day operation of Congress.
But Kerry also had some particularly kind words reserved for the media, in particular one member of the press corps: Politico’s David Rogers. (RELATED: Is Politico’s David Rogers playing favorites in debt ceiling coverage?)
“[I] thank the reporters who catch us in the hallways, trap us, ambush us in the hallways. And who despite all the changes and challenges in their own business still dutifully document the first drafts of American history.”
“I thank all the incredible people who travel through these halls working incredibly hard to get it right — people of character who cover this place as a public service, not a sport,” he continued. “And I thank them. I thank David Rogers for all that he has stood for so long in this institution. It is hard to imagine my job without seeing him in that long green coat waiting by the elevator after a late-night vote.”