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On his way out, Senator Jim Bunning threw something akin to a brush-back pitch at some of his colleagues. Senator Robert F. Bennett, on the other hand, used his farewell address to give a gentler appraisal of his tenure in Washington.

In some ways, Thursday’s speeches from Mr. Bunning, who has proven to be gruff and standoffish at times while in Congress, and Mr. Bennett, who has built up a reputation for collegiality, were a microcosm of how they spent their time in the Senate.

Mr. Bunning, who did not seek a third term in 2010, chastised other lawmakers and some of their actions during his talk, while also laying out his proudest legislative accomplishments. No more than a handful of the Kentucky Republican’s colleagues sat in on his address at any given time, and Mr. Bunning was quietly greeted by a few fellow senators once he was done. (Not included in that list: Mitch McConnell, also a Kentucky Republican and the Senate minority leader.)

Earlier in the day, Mr. Bennett, who was denied the Republican nomination this year in his bid for a fourth term, defended colleagues from both parties against what he called the “caricature” that senators are self-serving and unethical. At the end of his address, Mr. Bennett was applauded and accepted handshakes and hugs from several senators from both parties.

Early in his address, Mr. Bunning, who for a time this year singlehandedly stood in the way of a measure to extend unemployment benefits, signaled that he did not regret his approach to legislating.

“I have been booed by 60,000 fans in Yankee Stadium, standing alone on the mound,” said Mr. Bunning, who is also a Hall of Fame pitcher. “So I have never really cared if I stood alone here in the Congress, as long as I stood by my beliefs and my values.”

The senator also lit into major initiatives the Senate has approved, calling the health care overhaul “clearly unconstitutional” and saying that this year’s financial regulations legislation “almost certainly sows the seeds for the next banking and financial crisis.”

And finally, after seeming to choke up a bit when discussing his family, Mr. Bunning closed with a message to lawmakers who will still be on Capitol Hill next year: “I pray that the members of the next Congress do what is right for the country, not what is right for their fame and their future aspirations.”

For his part, Mr. Bennett, whose father was a senator and who spent time as a congressional staffer, said during his speech that the Senate had changed for the better over the years, calling it “an extraordinary place filled with extraordinary people.” (He did, however, admit the chamber had “a few clunkers.”)

And while labeling Democrats “the party of government” and Republicans “the party of free markets,” Mr. Bennett stressed that differences between the parties should not lead to allegations over one side’s motives or patriotism.

“They’re both right. That’s the thing I have come to understand here,” he said. “There are some problems where government is the solution, but not always. There are some problems when free markets do provide the solution, but not always. And the tension between those two has run throughout the history of the republic.”

Senator Byron L. Dorgan, a North Dakota Democrat, also gave his farewell speech on Thursday.

Mr. Dorgan said his decision not to run for a fourth term was not because of the climate in the Senate. He also discussed meeting his wife in a Capitol Hill elevator.

“I’m going on to do other things, but I will always watch this chamber, and those who will continue to work in this chamber and do what’s important for this country’s future,” Mr. Dorgan said in closing. “And I’ll be one of the cheerleaders that said: ‘Yay, good for you.’”

After his speech, Senator Kent Conrad, also a North Dakota Democrat, and Senator Mark Warner, the Virginia Democrat, praised Mr. Dorgan on the Senate floor.

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1:52 p.m. | Updated In an era of deep partisan polarization, President Obama will open his mailbox on Monday to find at least one letter offering bipartisan support — and bipartisan advice. The letter is from six senators, three from each caucus; they praise Mr. Obama for his tough stance on Iran and urge him not to let up.

With American and European officials sitting down with Iranian counterparts in Geneva for the first time in a year on Monday, the five senators told the president in their letter that they “strongly support the cascade of measures that have been put in place over the past several months by your administration” to impose sanctions on Iran for its continued pursuit of uranium enrichment in defiance of the United Nations Security Council.

At the same time, the senators pressed Mr. Obama not to allow Iran use the talks in Geneva to dilute the pressure campaign through half measures intended to buy time. The United States and its European allies should “make clear to the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran that we intend to continue ratcheting up this pressure” until the country suspends all activities related to uranium enrichment, heavy water and reprocessing of nuclear fuel. “The government of Iran must understand that there is absolutely no possibility of any freeze or reduction in the momentum of the pressure track until these minimum requirements have been met,” the letter said.

The letter was signed by the Republicans John McCain and Jon Kyl of Arizona and Mark Kirk of Illinois; the Democrats Robert P. Casey Jr. of Pennsylvania and Kirsten E. Gillibrand of New York; and Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats.

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Senator Scott Brown, Republican of Massachusetts, said on Friday that he now supported the repeal of the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy regarding gay soldiers, after a Pentagon report this week concluded that allowing gay men and lesbians to serve openly would not pose risks to the battle readiness of troops.

As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Mr. Brown voted last spring against repealing the policy. The repeal language is included in the annual military policy bill now before Congress.

But in a statement on Friday, Mr. Brown said that he accepted the report by Pentagon commanders.

Democrats seem to have secured enough votes to win approval of the repeal provision. But some of the Republicans who have said they will support the repeal did so on the condition that the majority leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, allow sufficient time for debate and the ability to offer amendments on the broader policy bill. With the Congressional clock ticking toward the end of the year, it is unclear that Mr. Reid will have enough time. Senate Republicans have already said they will block any legislation until a fight over the expiring Bush-era tax cuts is resolved and a temporary spending resolution to finance the government is adopted.

It is also unclear just how much time for debate, and how many amendments, will satisfy Republicans willing to support the repeal, including Senator Susan Collins of Maine.

Mr. Brown, in his statement, did not address the larger bill.

“I have been in the military for 31 years and counting, and have served as a subordinate and as an officer,” said Mr. Brown, who is in the Massachusetts National Guard. “As a legislator, I have spent a significant amount of time on military issues. During my time of service, I have visited our injured troops at Walter Reed and have attended funerals of our fallen heroes. When a soldier answers the call to serve, and risks life or limb, it has never mattered to me whether they are gay or straight. My only concern has been whether their service and sacrifice is with pride and honor.”

Mr. Brown added, “I pledged to keep an open mind about the present policy on ‘don’t ask, don’t tell.’ Having reviewed the Pentagon report, having spoken to active and retired military service members, and having discussed the matter privately with Defense Secretary Gates and others, I accept the findings of the report and support repeal based on the secretary’s recommendations that repeal will be implemented only when the battle effectiveness of the forces is assured and proper preparations have been completed.”

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In his opening remarks at a hearing on the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on Thursday, Senator John McCain of Arizona, the senior Republican on the Armed Services Committee, reiterated his strong concerns about ending the ban on gays serving openly in the military.

Mr. McCain dismissed a report released by the Pentagon this week that concluded that  repealing  the policy would pose a low risk to the military’s effectiveness, even at a time of war.

“What I want to know, and what it is the Congress’s duty to determine, is not can our armed forces implement a repeal of this law, but whether the law should be repealed,” Mr. McCain said. “Unfortunately, that key issue was not the focus of this study.  It is, however, the fundamental question that must be answered by Congress – not by the president or the courts, but by Congress.  And it is a question that must be answered carefully, deliberately and with proper consideration for the complexity of this issue and the gravity of the potential consequences for our military and the wars in which we are engaged.”

He continued, “In addition to my concerns about what questions were not asked by this survey and considered in this report, I am troubled by the fact that this report only represents the input of 28 percent of the force who received the questionnaire. That is only 6 percent of the force at large.  I find it hard to view that as a fully representative sample set, but I am nonetheless weighing the contents of this report on their merits.  What appears clear at this time is that the survey and anecdotal data underlying this report do not lead to one unequivocal conclusion, which is no surprise considering the complex and difficult nature of this issue.”

Mr. McCain did, however, suggest some flexibility. “I am not saying this law should never change,” he said. “I am simply saying that it may be premature to make such a change at this time and in this manner, without further consideration of this report and further study of the issue by Congress – for of all the people we serve, one of our highest responsibilities is to the men and women of our armed services, especially those risking their lives in combat.”

A delay in repealing the ban, however, would potentially decide the issue for years to come. House Republicans, who will take over the majority in January, have said they would not be interested in approving legislation to authorize repeal of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell.’

That means that Senate Democrats have only until the end of this month to approve legislation allowing a repeal, as House Democrats have already done. The language authorizing repeal is included in the annual military policy bill. The Senate has approved that bill in each of the last 48 years but time is running out for this year. Some Republicans have expressed a willingness to support the measure, including the repeal language, provided there is an open debate on the bill and an opportunity to offer amendments. It is unclear how much time Democrats will have to allow that sort of free-flowing debate.

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It’s on in Missouri.

Sarah Steelman, a former state treasurer, has announced her intention to run in 2012 for the Senate seat held by Claire McCaskill, a Democrat.

On her Web site, Ms. Steelman, who is popular among Tea Party activists, said she was running because she wanted to fight for the country’s future.

“It is time we get back to honoring and upholding our Constitution that protects the people against the encroachment of government power,” said Ms. Steelman, who made an unsuccessful bid for governor in 2008 and considered running for Senate this year. “It is time to ensure that our children and future generations to come will have the same abundant opportunities to fulfill their God-given purpose, and to live free!”

Ms. McCaskill, who narrowly defeated Senator Jim Talent in 2006 and has been a close friend and ally of President Obama, is expected to run for a second term and is likely to be a major target as Republicans look to gain control of the Senate. Missouri, once more of a swing state, has been moving toward the G.O.P. in recent elections, and it’s far from certain that Ms. McCaskill would be able to gin up the support in rural areas in 2012 that she got four years ago.

In a recent appearance on “Fox News Sunday,” Ms. McCaskill appeared to acknowledge that she expected to be in a tough race, as she tried to put some distance between herself and the president and said she expected to be an underdog in her bid for re-election.

Ms. Steelman is the first prominent Republican to jump into the race, but other party members – including Mr. Talent – are said to be mulling over a run as well. According to a recent Twitter message from Ms. McCaskill, Mr. Talent has informed her that he was considering seeking a rematch.

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Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, did not spend a lot of time during his recent re-election campaign talking up the McCain-Feingold Act. The tough campaign finance legislation, which he sponsored in 2002 with a Democratic colleague, Senator Russell Feingold of Wisconsin, is unpopular with many conservative Republicans, and they have heaped scorn on Mr. McCain for his role in it ever since.

But Mr. McCain took time on the Senate floor on Tuesday morning to profusely praise Mr. Feingold, who lost his bid for a fourth term this month to Ron Johnson, a Republican businessman. “The Senate will be a much poorer place without Russ Feingold in it,” said Mr. McCain, who detailed their disagreements – specifically over the war in Iraq – and the civility with which they debated them.

“I will sorely miss his presence here,” Mr. McCain said. “I will miss the daily reminder of what a blessing it is to have a true friend in Washington.”

His voice sometimes seemingly choked with emotion as he continued: “In his time in the Senate, Russ Feingold every day and in every way had the courage of his convictions,” Mr. McCain, said adding, “I think he is one of the most admirable people I have ever met in my entire life. … I don’t think he is replaceable.”

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