In accepting tributes, Harkin asks one more election favor

INDIANOLA — It was Sen. Tom Harkin's party, but he also was the guest of honor as speaker after speaker praised and thanked him for 40 years of service in Congress.

The Iowa Democrat, who will retire from the U.S. Senate in January, joked that the crowd at the National Balloon Classic grounds near Indianola was so big Sarah Palin could see it from Wasilla, Alaska.

'It's a hell of a crowd and they all came to see me,' he teased his guest, many wearing 'Ready for Hillary' T-shirts, stickers and pins. 'Who am I kidding?'

There was no kidding in the heartfelt thanks from his guests, including Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton.

'I'm here, more than anything else,' President Clinton said, 'because the shining life of Tom Harkin and Ruth proves that politics can be a noble profession, that good things can come from tough elections, that people who disagree can get together, work together, find common ground.'

'Throughout his career, Tom has gotten results by finding common ground where he could and standing his ground when he should,' added Hillary Clinton. 'Good jobs, higher wages, better schools, a cleaner environment, civil rights, quality affordable health care — Tom has fought for them all.'

There wasn't time to thank Harkin for everything he has done in 10 years in the U.S. House and 30 years in the Senate, Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Scott Brennan said.

'It's hard to believe this will be our last steak fry together,' said Brennan, a former Harkin staffer.

Later, Harkin, who quipped that 'about half the Democrats in Iowa have been on my staff at one time or another,' paid tribute to those staffers.

'So often I get thanked, get awards, but it's the staff who have done the hard work, got the job done,' he said. 'All my staffers, across all these years, thank you.'

Harkin's fights not only for Iowans, but for Americans in need everywhere, were mentioned in several of the tributes offered Sunday afternoon.

For many, Harkin's efforts were personal.

'We're going to miss this guy who has fought for the least among us,' 2nd District U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack said. He's part of the middle class, Loebsack said, not only because of his hard work 'but because of the things (Harkin) did for us.'

USDA Secretary and former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack said Harkin 'represented our values and fought every day ... for the people who needed a voice.'

Neither Vilsack nor the others forgot that the steak fry is, above all, a political event and there is an election in seven weeks.

The biggest thank you Iowa Democrats can give Harkin, Vilsack said, 'is not just coming today, isn't giving them our applause, isn't thanking them for what they have done, but ensuring their work continues by electing Democrats to the Congress and electing a Democrat to the Unites States Senate.'

Harkin concurred and asked one last election favor from the people who for 40 years empowered him to 'carry forward the populist, progressive banner of fighting for working people in this country, fighting for people who didn't get a fair shake, the least, the lost and the left behind.'

'If you want to thank me, there's only one way I want you to do that,' he said. 'Make sure that this senate seat stays in good fighting, progressive hands with Congressman Bruce Braley being the next senator from the state of Iowa.'