“In American Society today, we need to have volunteerism. I truly believe that it is the glue that will hold us together and it will be the energy that will take us into the 21st century.”

George Mitchell was a very good leader, and we were more than satisfied with his leadership. And I know the guys were jealous.

Family responsibility, yes, and always. Family bankruptcy due to the cruel rules of government, no.

His great passion for education and [making sure] people have an opportunity. Of course that’s what came out of the George Mitchell Institute and his scholarships in those high schools.

I think Paul Sarbanes and his wife Christine socialized with them [George and Heather Mitchell] more than I did, but we all hung out, or we saw each other in groups.

On the most recent battles on health insurance reform, the women led the battle to end gender discrimination by the insurance companies [where] women paid more and got less of a benefit, and also the whole issue of prevention.

Senator [George] Mitchell is a man of many talents and he’s swift on his feet, but one would not think of him as ‘dancing with the stars.’ And we had this great rock ‘n’ roll fund raiser.

I thought in this country, the best social program was a job. Yet minimum wage jobs arent paying enough to keep families out of poverty

Our seniors’ retirement should never rely on the bull of political promises or the bear of the market.

I would say that in some ways George Mitchell is kind of an old fashioned guy, in terms of these basic values, but he was a very modern person, encouraging, he was not only accepting but he was actually encouraging.

Every vote counts and every vote must be counted

I knew of Senator [George] Mitchell because he was very close friends with who was soon to be the senior senator, Paul Sarbanes. Paul Sarbanes and George Mitchell were kind of pals together.

George [Mitchell] introduced the idea that we’d go on a retreat [and] to really regularize caucuses. He’s the one who had I think [Tom] Daschle become the Democratic Policy Committee chairman, so I think it lived through with Tom.

College is part of the American dream. It shouldnt be part of a financial nightmare for families

My own father had died of Alzheimer’s. George [Mitchell] had been also, I think, deeply moved by a similar tragedy.

America is not a melting pot. It is a sizzling cauldron.

I am emphatically against the privatization of Social Security. It is going to hurt millions of American women, American families and ultimately the whole country

If you light a lamp for somebody, it will also brighten your path.

All children in some form or another have genius; the trick is to bring it out in them.

Sometimes a little brain damage can help.

Be courteous to all, but intimate with few; and let those be well-tried before you give them your confidence.

Never mistake knowledge for wisdom. One helps you make a living; the other helps you make a life.

It’s important in life if you don’t give a shit. It can help you a lot.

If you can, help others; if you cannot do that, at least do not harm them.

If you don’t plan your time, someone else will help you waste it.