Political Quotes

“Mr. President, today I want to pay tribute to the late Richard L. Thornburgh, a former Pennsylvania Governor and former U.S. Attorney General. Dick Thornburgh was also a hero to the disability community for his longstanding advocacy for the rights and self- determination of people with disabilities. Born in Pittsburgh on July 16, 1932, Dick received an undergraduate degree from Yale University and a law degree from the University of Pittsburgh Law School before going into private practice. In 1969, President Richard Nixon appointed Dick as the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania, and in 1975, President Gerald Ford appointed him to serve as the Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Criminal Division. Two years later, he returned to Pennsylvania. In 1978, Dick was elected Governor of Pennsylvania and was reelected in 1982, becoming the first Republican to serve two successive terms as Governor of the Commonwealth. During his time in office, Governor Thornburgh provided a steady hand and a calm demeanor. Most notably, he led Pennsylvania through the Three Mile Island crisis, America's worst nuclear meltdown. He took charge of the crisis and in so doing won praise from President Jimmy Carter and from Pennsylvanians for how he handled the potential disaster. At the time of the Three Mile Island Crisis, Governor Thornburgh said: You have to reassure people.…”