Farewell, Mr. President

They've debated with him, they've welcomed him to their distrcts. They've been rushed and shushed by him.

And today, lawmakers said farewell to Senate President Jeff Atwater.

In a lengthy round of praise that lasted roughly an hour, senators from both parties recalled how the North Palm Beach Republican made every attempt to make them feel at home on the Senate floor and treated them as family.

As Atwater stood before his family and fellow lawmakers, the senators presented the chief financial officer-hopeful with a portrait of himself to grace the walls of the chamber and a personal picture of himself surrounded with the images of other senators.

"The name of Jeff Atwater will be on the door of more than office on the plaza level of the Capitol," said Don Gaetz, R-Destin.

In a speech that avoided almost any mention of himself or his accomplishments, Atwater thanked his family for their support and his fellow lawmakers for shouldering the burdens of their districts.

"At this time, in this chamber, we were not afraid to take a stand on the issues of our time," he said.