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Edward KocheEdward Koche
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dresser. He looks like he could be carrying a spear, that sort of guy -- very articulate but uses a lot of street language.

So I'm sitting on the front row at the House the day after the vote, and Dellums comes over. He has a rather soft voice except when he gets excited and he says, “How did you eastern liberals vote on my amendment yesterday?” So I said, “I don't know how the eastern liberals voted on the amendment; I don't speak for them, but I voted against it.” And he said something along the lines of, “You motherfucker.” And I said, “Why do you think that you can talk to me that way, and how do you think that helps your cause?” He's towering over me and I'm sitting down. Congressman Steve Solarg was next to me. And then I say, “You know, Ron, you're a smart guy, and I'm at least as smart as you are.” “Oh,” he says, “that's right -- you're one of the chosen people.” So I said, “What are you trying to convey to me when you say I'm one of the chosen people? Spit it out. What are you trying to tell me.” And he says, “You call me anti-Semitic and I'll knock you down.” I said, “I haven't called you anti-Semitic. I haven't even told you I'm Jewish.” Then he walks away. Solarg says to me, “Did you say to him, ‘I'm at least as smart as you are'?” I said, “Yes.”

Dellums comes back a few minutes later and he says, “I'm sorry,” and he holds out his hand. I said, “No, no, no, no. We're not going to shake on this thing. You'll do it again.” So





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