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Sen. Herb Kohl makes farewell remarks
Sen. Herb Kohl makes farewell remarks
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Wisconsin Senator Herb Kohl delivered his farewell remarks to the U.S. Senate on Thursday, December 13th. Kohl won election to the U.S. Senate in 1988. He was reelected in 1994, 2000 and 2006. He decided not to seek re-election in 2012, and will be succeeded by Democrat Tammy Baldwin.
"Thank you for taking a chance on me in that first election 24 years ago and renewing my contract three more times. Thank you for trusting me with your problems and concerns -- your hopes and dreams," Kohl said on Thursday.
Thursday was Kohl's last day as U.S. Senator.
FOX6's Mike Lowe recently sat down with Herb Kohl to discuss his time spent serving in the U.S. Senate and what his plans for the future entail.
76-year-old Kohl is a successful businessman, generous philanthropist, owner of the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team, and a wildly popular politician.
Part of Kohl's appeal is his approachability and accessibility. Even while in D.C., he made it a point to reach out to Wisconsinites, hosting a weekly breakfast, open to any Wisconsin resident who happened to be in D.C.
"They have a place to come, have a cup of coffee, meet our staff, see what a senate office looks like, take a picture, and I've found many people say that's the bright spot of their visit," Kohl said.
Kohl didn't start his political career until he was 53, but once he got in, he never looked back. Kohl won four straight elections, each by wider margins than the last. In 2006, he won by more than 37 points, and, as a Democrat, he even won in the state's Republican stronghold Waukesha.
Kohl focused his political career on the state of Wisconsin, bringing the power of his office to local projects - like Marinette Marine. His work brought the company a big government order to build combat ships. Kohl also worked hard on the one issue on the minds of constituents everywhere: jobs, and says Congress could have done more to pass Obama's Jobs Bill.
"If we engage and pass this legislation, we'll put people back to work or keep them on the job, which is desperately important in this difficult time," Kohl said.
As for what Kohl believes is wrong with politics, Kohl says there is too much disagreement among politicians, saying: "it's hard to move forward when people are calling each other names and refuse to sit down and talk, find a middle ground. It makes it almost impossible for good government to function. People in Wisconsin are sick of it."
Kohl won't say the reason for his surprise retirement, only that he enjoys his job, and the good things he can do for the people of Wisconsin.
"When I come to work everyday, I still ask myself, 'are you enthusiastic about coming to work?' and the answer is always 'yes,'" Kohl said.