Kirk echoes Brooke's call for bipartisanship

In a speech today, Senator Paul G. Kirk Jr. seconded former Senator Edward W. Brooke, who even as he received Congress's highest civilian honor Wednesday admonished lawmakers for partisan warfare.

"I am proud that Massachusetts sent Ed Brooke to Washington, and we saw yesterday what our state long ago saw in him: his strength, his wisdom, his decency, and his deep commitment to meeting the needs of the American people," Kirk said. "Ed Brooke was elected as a Republican, but the people of Massachusetts didn’t see him as a party man. They saw him as a great American, and a model politician. They supported him because they understood that difficult times require statesmen who can work across party lines."

And that bipartisan spirit should start with the health care overhaul, Kirk told his colleagues.

"We are poised to enact the most significant domestic legislation since the civil rights era. I know that each and every senator has deeply held beliefs about how we can best reform our health care system -- and that those deeply held beliefs will sometimes collide. We should and we will have a vigorous debate in this chamber," said the former Democratic Party chairman.

"But that debate should reflect a level of the civility and the cooperation that is equal to the magnitude of what is at stake for American families. It should reflect the spirit of teamwork and collaboration that we always saw in statesmen like Ed Brooke -- and Ted Kennedy. Our times, and our nation, demand nothing less."

His full prepared remarks are below: