1

“I couldn’t help realize that I was standing behind and listening to a legend.  Texas politics have often times been defined by legends, and there’s no question that Bob Bullock is a legend.”

Gov. George W. Bush in June 1997 after Bullock announces his retirement

2

“Bob Bullock was one of the strongest leaders this state ever had.  He never saw a challenge he didn’t meet, and there was never a mountain he failed to climb.”

George Christian, press secretary to former President Lyndon B. Johnson

3

“The sons and daughters of Texas will miss him, even if many never know his name. Bob Bullock championed the children ensnared by poverty. He fought to improve public schools. He believed in the state’s universities. And he stood up against legislative know-nothings, who lacked the vision to adequately invest in Texas’ future.”

4

“Bob Bullock was a man with a generous spirit and a great sense of humor who always let you know where you stood.  He was a man with boundless energy and deep character.”

5

“This is the end of an era, the larger than life, colorful politicians who did and said outrageous things at the same time they were getting things accomplished.  He’s the last of a breed.”

6

“He didn’t just say, ‘God bless Texas.’ He meant it.”

7

“The story of Bob Bullock’s career is the story of the modernization of state government in Texas.  But for all the computers he bought and for all the efficiencies he achieved, Bob Bullock never lost sight of old Texas values: independence, dignity, loyalty, the search for truth and devotion to God and country.”

8

“Texas is a better place because Bob Bullock lived here.”

former Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby

9

“If he ran for God, I guess I’d have to support him.”

10

“He’ll live on in the countless stories told and retold in future years.  The neat thing about those stories is that you don’t have to embellish them.”

11

“I don’t think you’ll ever see anyone again like Bob Bullock.  They just made one of them.”

12

“I think his biggest accomplishment was the fact that he decided to give his whole life to public service.  He could have been successful at anything he wanted to be successful.”

13

“Among Texas Democrats, depending on the situation, Bob Bullock was cussed or discussed, loved or loathed, but was always respected for his absolute dedication to our great state.”

14

“You test a man’s life by the distance he runs, and Bob Bullock ran a very long distance.”

15

“Today Bob Bullock can rest because none of his contemporaries ever did, nor could have done, more for Texas than Bob Bullock. All of us who knew him are better for the experience, and all of Texas is better because of his service.”

16

“What always impressed me most about Bob Bullock was his sense of recall.  Whether it was an individual who he had met once in a crowd or some little tidbit of history about state government, Bullock always remembered.  There was nothing in the state budget or in any major piece of legislation that he couldn’t discuss.  …Texas lost a great man, higher education lost a supporter and I lost a friend.  This is the end of an era in Texas politics and government.”

17

“Archives and textbooks will reflect that Bob Bullock was a giant of Texas history with few peers.”

Sen. Bill Ratliff, Mount Pleasant

18

“Bob Bullock loved state government – first, last and always.  He literally gave everything he had to his public service, and no person could be asked to do more.  He was unfailingly loyal to the people he loved.”

Former Gov. Ann Richards

19

“That’s Bob Bullock? I thought he’d be bigger.”

20

“He was the one you went to, to get something done. He didn’t choose sides.  He didn’t care what your denomination was in church or politics as long as you wanted to do what was best for Texas.”

21

“He’s tough, he’s demanding, he’s impatient, he’s unpredictable, he’s incredibly innovative, he’s one of the smartest people in Austin. And he’s one of the best public servants I ever met.”

John Sharp, Controller in June 1997 after Bullock announces his retirement

22

“When Texas changed from its dependence on oil and gas to its reliance on education and high technology, we were fortunate to have Bob Bullock as the chief architect of that transition.”

23

“Nobody loved Texas more than Bob Bullock, and nobody ever will again.”

24

“Whatever I have accomplished in the Texas Senate is owed to Bob Bullock.  When asked in the future about the great men in my life, Bob Bullock is one of the ones who stands above the rest.”

25

“Bob Bullock was one of the great characters in Texas history.  In fact, he was one of the greatest Texans of the 20th century.  He was a master at striking deals, finding common ground and making coalitions with very different kinds of people.  He was powerful in the best sense of the word.  He knew power and was not afraid to wield it, yet he used it for the benefit of all Texans.”

26

“He was variously described as a leader, a bully, a master of mundane government dreck, an obsessive tinker, an accomplished deal-maker, a hilarious comic, and prolific Samaritan, a great friend, a terrible enemy, a teacher and mentor, an outrageously large personality, and a miracle of timing that can never be repeated in Texas politics.”

27

“He will be remembered for his ability to get people together and work things out, sometimes even if they didn’t want to, for the good of Texas.”

28

“Bob Bullock was one of the last of the giants in Texas, right up there with Lyndon Johnson.”

29

“Perhaps his greatest accomplishment has been his ability to negotiate solutions to intractable problems while insisting on bipartisan cooperation.”

30

“Texas has lost a brilliant leader, a man who cared deeply not only about Texas in general but every region of the state…There is no accomplishment in the Texas Senate that does not reflect his leadership.”