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CNN 20: Bob Packwood Resigns, September 7, 1995

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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CANDY CROWLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After almost three years of charges, denials, anger, explanations, depositions, points and counter-points, the only thing left to say was goodbye.

SEN. BOB PACKWOOD (D), OREGON: It is my duty to resign. It is the honorable thing to do for this country, for this Senate.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Senator Packwood did a lot on a lot of issues I cared about, but he also abused the power of his office.

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CROWLEY: If I were a betting person, in the beginning, I would have told you that Bob Packwood, whose sole life was in the Senate of the United States, would never quit, no matter what.

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CROWLEY (voice-over): They through the book at him, accusing Packwood of assaulting women, tampering with evidence, and using his power for financial gain. Releasing the documents, bipartisan committee leaders also unleashed their wrath.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want to say, as strongly as I possibly can, that the conduct that the conduct that we find Senator Packwood guilty of is unacceptable.

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CROWLEY: Regardless of whether you felt that Bob Packwood should leave the Senate or that he should stay, when you see a man whose entire life has been built, and whose career has been built in the Senate, having to leave a place that everyone said he loved, and in fact had done a really good job, is a moment.

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