SUNUNU HONORS HEROIC LEGACY OF PRESIDENT
REAGAN IN SENATE FLOOR SPEECH
WASHINGTON, DC – United States Senator John Sununu (R-NH)
honored the legacy of President Ronald Reagan on the floor of the
United States Senate on June 9, 2004, with the following speech:
“Madam President, as Americans gather in our Capitol and across
the country to remember and pay tribute to President Ronald Reagan,
we have been provided a very special opportunity to reflect on his
great achievements as our Commander in Chief, as well as the tremendous
personal strength which he brought to the Oval Office.
“But as we salute President Reagan for his leadership, his
integrity, and his vision, I am struck by the very personal nature
of so many of these memories and stories. Whether here in Washington
or out across the country, whether it is a U.S. Senator or a teacher
in a small school, it seems that so many of these recollections
begin with phrases such as, ‘I remember seeing him during
his first visit to our State,’ or ‘I shook his hand
when he visited our factory,’ or ‘I recall a story that
President Reagan loved to tell,’ or even ‘because of
Ronald Reagan , I chose to run for office.’
“These recollections are enormously personal, but I think
they are a testament to the way he touched people in a very deep
and unique way. He affected the lives of millions of people in America
and around the world in countless encounters. Many of these encounters
may have been for only a moment or two in a life that spanned decades,
but his gift was in his ability to make a strong connection that
had real power, the power to bridge generations, the power to last
a lifetime, and the power to change a life as well.
“We remember his touch, his smile, and his encouragement,
not simply because when he walked into a room Ronald Reagan conveyed
a great personal warmth. That was certainly special in and of itself,
and something that anyone who had the chance to meet him or see
him in person would always remember, but it was because this personal
connection conveyed a sense of purpose, a sense of kindness, and
an enormous love for public service. That was the power of the Great
Communicator, the power of the personal connection that he made.
“I consider this the greatest tribute of all. Despite the
myriad and extraordinary legislative and foreign policy victories
of President Reagan such as cutting taxes and reforming the code,
rebuilding our Nation’s defenses, turning back the Soviets
in Afghanistan, or leading the West to a lasting victory in the
cold war – despite the enormous substance of these achievements,
Ronald Reagan, in the end, is not remembered first and foremost
as a clever politician with great machinations of political strategy
or hardball political tactics.
“Instead, the descriptive words that we heard here and across
the country over and over again are integrity, character, courage,
and leadership. These are qualities that transcend politics and
qualities that transcend time. They are qualities that inspire the
young and comfort the aged. They are the qualities of heroes.
“Ronald Reagan was fond of describing the heroes he saw in
audiences at every speech he made or heroes he would see as he traveled
across the country in every corner of America and coming from every
walk of life. He saw in these men and women the very strength of
character, courage, integrity, and leadership that he knew made
our country unique and which kept our country prosperous and free.
But by bringing these very same qualities to the Oval Office and
drawing on them time and time again to guide our Nation through
demanding and even dark times, he left a legacy that shined like
the city on a hill which he knew America could be and would again
become. It is a heroic legacy, and it is the legacy of a great American.”
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