Senatorial dads reflect on Father’s Day

Father’s Day is Sunday, so The Hill decided to check in with some
of the Capitol’s paterfamiliases to see what they planned on doing and
to wish them a happy one.

Sen. James Inhofe
(R-Okla.) is the proud patriarch of a brood of 20 kids and grandchildren, who all make sure the senator feels loved on his day. “We have a
traditional family. Where the father still has some respect,” he joked.
Expanding on paternal respect, Inhofe,
when asked if Father’s Day pertains to the Founding Fathers,responded, “Yes, I think it does. And in no other time in our history
has an administration so violated the wishes of those fathers.”

Father’s Day sometimes falls on Sen. Mike Johanns‘
(R-Neb.) birthday; however, the senator had some somber reflections on
the day. His own father passed away in 1996. “Every year I feel like
picking up the phone and calling him.” Johanns credits his father as having a profound influence on his life. “I wish every kid in America could have a father like that.”

Senator Christopher Dodd
(D-Conn.) honors his late father every day following in his legacy as a
United States senator. Having two young ones at home, ages five and
eight, he has been lobbying on the home front for some sort of Daddy
Day commemoration. “I’ve certainly been promoting the idea of Father’s
Day,” he said.

Some might have mistaken Senate Minority Leader
Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) beaming smile for Friday afternoon glee, but the real
enjoyment was coming, he said, from a newly arrived “great Father’s Day card”
from one of this three daughters.

Even
though not all home-state voters rally around these leaders come
election time, they seem to have full support from their families come
the third Sunday in June.