“Intelligence helps, but you also have to have the patience and the interest and the ability to focus, to communicate with people, to work with them on a practical and pragmatic basis. That’s as important as any intellectual gift.”
A Democratic senator from Rhode Island since 1996, John Francis Reed previously served as a member of the House of Representatives. A veteran of the Vietnam War era, he voted against going to war in Iraq. He is committed to fostering bipartisan collaboration and using American strength to make contributions that go beyond military force.