Don’t pay any attention to your supportive friend, Senator.

>When he was beginning his career in politics, [Senator Norris Cotton](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/Norris_Cotton.jpg) was asked to address a Republican rally in a town some distance from his home, so he took a friend along to keep him company. As he delivered his speech, he got carried away with his eloquence and suddenly realized he had spoken too long and was beginning to lose his audience. Apologizing for his loquacity, he announced that he would quickly wind up his speech. >At this, his friend, hoping to give him a little lift, yelled from the back of the crowd: “That’s all right, Norris. Tell us all about it! We want to hear all about it!” >The moderator, somewhat deaf, looked up at once and whispered to Cotton: “Don’t pay any attention to that damn fool. He’s drunk all the time.” _______________________ **Source:** Boller, Paul F. “Oratory.” *Congressional Anecdotes*. New York: Oxford UP, 1991. 100. Print. **Original Source Listed:** Bill Adler, ed., *The Washington Wits* (New York, 1967), 102-3. ______________________ **Further Reading:** [Norris H. Cotton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norris_Cotton)