U.S. Senator Ken Salazar

Member: Finance, Agriculture, Energy, Ethics and Aging Committees

 

2300 15th Street, Suite 450 Denver, CO 80202 | 702 Hart Senate Building, Washington, D.C. 20510

 

 

For Immediate Release

January 8, 2007

CONTACT:    Cody Wertz – Comm. Director

                        303-455-7600

Andrew Nannis  – Press Secretary

                        202-224-5852


  Sen. Salazar Asks to Rename Post Office in Vail After President Ford

WASHINGTON, D.C. – United States Senator Ken Salazar today pushed the Senate to rename the U.S. Post Office in Vail, Colorado after President Gerald R. Ford.

In a statement delivered on the floor of the Senate, Senator Salazar said, “I call myself fortunate to have met President Ford. In our brief time together, it was obvious to me that he was a man of honor, integrity, and courage. He was also a man who loved the State of Colorado, its people, and its culture – so it is a fitting tribute that the post office in his adopted home town of Vail should bear his name.”

Senator Salazar’s full statement, as prepared, is below:

“Mr. President, I rise to speak in favor of a bill to name the post office in Vail, Colorado after President Gerald R. Ford.

“I call myself fortunate to have met President Ford. In our brief time together, it was obvious to me that he was a man of honor, integrity, and courage. He was also a man who loved the State of Colorado, its people, and its culture – so it is a fitting tribute that the post office in his adopted home town of Vail should bear his name.

“President Ford led a remarkable life. Remarkable not only for his great success, but for the humility, dignity, and candor which were the hallmarks of his career. And what a career it was: From the University of Michigan to Yale Law School to service in the Navy to a leadership position in Congress and, eventually of course, to the Presidency – to say nothing of a long and productive post-presidential career.

“Of course, it is his time in the White House which people will remember best. And for good reason. President Ford was a great leader who brought the country together during a time of crisis. He was not only the right man at the right time. He was the perfect man to deal with circumstances the likes of which this country had never seen.

“But I will remember President Ford not only for his good deeds in public office, but for his unending commitment to justice and equality well after he left the White House behind. In 1999, when our shared alma mater, the University of Michigan, had its affirmative action policies challenged in court, President Ford wrote an op-ed piece defending affirmative action in higher education with words that I have not forgotten:

Of all the triumphs that have marked this as America's century -- breathtaking advances in science and technology, the democratization of wealth and dispersal of political power in ways hardly imaginable in 1899 -- none is more inspiring, if incomplete, than our pursuit of racial justice.

“President Ford bravely defended Michigan’s policy with the same elegance and bravery with which he confronted the tribulations of the Watergate era – and, in the process, left behind a legacy of tolerance and justice which will not soon be forgotten.

“Of course, no tribute to President Ford would be complete without mention of his extraordinary family, particularly his wife Betty. As President Ford famously said “I am indebted to no man, and only to one woman -- to my dear wife.” Of course, Betty Ford bravery and candor has inspired millions of Americans – and we wish her and the rest of the Ford family the best during this very difficult time.

“Mr. President, the people of Colorado thank Gerald Ford for his service – and we are proud to have the post office in Vail bear his name. I yield the floor.”

# # #