María Elvira Salazar: “I stand here today to not only say thank you but to congratulate the Senator from New Jersey, the Governor-elect of New…”

“I stand here today to not only say thank you but to congratulate the Senator from New Jersey, the Governor-elect of New Jersey, Jon Corzine. For me, my whole life has been touched by many people who have helped me live the American dream. But it is an American dream, too, that has come with challenges in dealing with the issues of poverty and in dealing with the issues of racism. There was a time in my life when I thought anything was possible for anyone in America. There was also a time in my life when I thought there were limitations placed on myself personally that I could never overcome because of the history of racism and the effects of poverty within my own life. Notwithstanding the fact that I was a proud son of that great generation of World War II, soldiers who fought in World War II, and steeped in the history of New Mexico and southern Colorado, there were many people who, when I decided to seek this position in the Senate, thought that it could not be done. There were many people who brought up reason after reason why this was not a place where I could serve. One of the people who disagreed with those conclusions was Jon Corzine. Jon Corzine told me that, yes, it was possible to still believe in the American dream, that no matter what your background is and no matter what your economic circumstance might be, everything is still possible here in America. His inspiration and his vision and his leadership contributed to my serving today in the Senate.…”