we received an award for civility in public life. it was the college of allegheny college, puts out this prestigious award for bipartisanship. john and i looked at each other, and said what the hell is going here. not a joke. i said to senator flake, that s how it is always supposed to be. you re getting an award? i m serious, think about this, getting an award for your civility. getting an award for bipartisanship. and classic john, at allegheny college, hundreds of people there. john, the senate was in session, he spoke first. and as he walked off the stage and i walked on, he looked at me, he said joe, don t take it personal but i don t want to hear what the hell you have to say. [laughing] and he left.
we hold these truths self-evident, all men are created equal, endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights. to john those words had meaning as they have for every great patriot that has served this country. we both loved the senate, proudest years of my life were being a united states senator. i was honored to be vice president. but being a united states senator, and we both lamented watching it change. during long debates in the 80s and 90s, as some of the colleagues who were around then, i d sit next to john, next to his seat. he d come over on the democratic side and sit next to me. i m not joking, because we d sit there, and talk to each other.
we call regular order to start to treat one another again like we used to. the senate was never perfect, john, you know that, we were there a long time together. i d watch teddy kennedy and james o. eastland to fight like crazy on civil rights and go down and have lunch together in the senate dining room. john wanted to see, quote, regular order writ large, get to know one another. you know, john and i were both amused, i think lindsey was at one of these events, john and i received two prestigious awards, the last year i was vice president, then one immediately after, for our dignity and respect we showed to one another.