[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 136 (Thursday, October 26, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1956]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              A THANK YOU

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. MARSHALL ``MARK'' SANFORD

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 26, 2000

  Mr. SANFORD. Mr. Speaker, in the closing few days of the 106th 
Congress I rise today to say thank you to family and a few friends.
  I am now in what I presume will be my last week in the U.S. House of 
Representatives. It has been a learning-filled experience, a time of 
growth, but most of all--an honor. It is at this threshold of upcoming 
change in my life that I think it important to pause for a moment, look 
back, and thank a few people for their work in getting me here.
  When there was no reason to have faith, a long list of friends still 
believed I was supposed to end up here in Washington for this chapter 
of my life. I thank them for believing and for a whole lot of hard 
work. Walter and Deena McRackan, Jim Kuyk, Allen and Wendy Gibson, 
Charlie Duell, Tony Page, Gordon Bynum, John and Chris Molnar, Hoyt 
Long, Marilee Kinney, Paige Herrin, Tom Davis, Ron Norton and Lynn 
McBride are just a few of the many names that deserve credit on this 
front.
  Family, immediate and extended fit the same bill on work and faith in 
this endeavor. Billy and Christie gave many weeks of their lives. Sarah 
moved to town and was instrumental in motivating volunteers. Mom was 
there for constant moral support. Jenny was campaign manager 
extrordinare. From our life together over the last ten years and from 
the campaign experience together, she is the first person I would trust 
with any task my life depended on completing. She not only has an 
extraordinary capacity to get things done, but is as well my favorite 
person with whom to kick around ideas. Jenny, thank you for all the 
hours, days and weeks you have given to being the world's greatest 
helpmate.
  The person who I'd most like to pay tribute to is someone not here--
my dad. He died November eighteen years ago, but to this day I can 
remember the sound of his voice and the look in his eyes. Dad, you 
taught me many things. A few of them, never giving up, confidence and 
faith to follow dreams, and the need to try to make the world a better 
place--had a whole lot to do with my coming to Congress and my six 
years here.

                             never give up

  Dad you lived this by example. Your fight to the death with Lou 
Gerig's disease was all about never giving up. With Billy and John, I 
remember watching you fall to your face on new-ground at Coosaw while 
you tried to walk toward a bulldozer you desperately wanted to try and 
operate. You would let us lift you up, only to then allow us to watch 
you fall again as you took choppy little steps forward. You fell many 
times, but wouldn't give up as you battled your way across the field. 
These were inspirational moments in seeing the human will, but not 
happy times. In a much happier season of life years earlier, I remember 
being in the lead in a high school cross-country race and having you 
and Coach Key pull up alongside me in a car. You were all keyed up and 
after the race we rode home together and you gave me ``the talk'' about 
determination and never giving up. Overwhelmingly you gave me praise on 
these visits. Throughout my running years in school you always stressed 
the theme of determination. Your words I appreciated your actions I 
will always try to emulate.

                 confidence and faith to follow dreams

  You were instrumental in instilling a sense of confidence with each 
of your children. I remember you always used to say to us that we were 
the best in the class. We would protest, ``No, we're not'', and we were 
right, but you were continuous in repeating this mantra. Thank you for 
doing so because over time you brainwashed us into believing in 
ourselves. You did it with the things you said, and the things you 
expected of each of us. As a little guy I remember driving tractors 
doing all kinds of things--cutting fire-lanes, bailing hay, cutting 
grass. We were not ready for all that you expected of us, I remember 
running a 4010 John Deere into a tree because I was focused on the 
roots jamming the disk the tractor was pulling rather than what was in-
front of me, but you kept believing in each of us. You made us believe 
that we were ready for any and all challenges before us, and from the 
vantage-point I now hold I am thankful that you were so benevolent in 
your trust in each of us. Sometimes consciously, more often 
unconsciously, each of us had tried to live up to your expectations. 
This sense of self-confidence was your greatest gift and set in motion 
a virtuous cycle that to this day does me good. In this chapter of life 
it is what caused me to still believe things would work out after a 
hundred people told me there was no chance of winning the race for 
Congress.

                     make the world a better place

  In our family, all of us as children would complain about some new 
task you would dream up for us at Coosaw. Part of your response was a 
description of how we are here on earth to leave it a little bit better 
than we found it. You even went a step further and said that to whom 
much is given much is expected--so we were expected to make it a much 
better place. I don't believe I have yet made it a better place, but 
thanks to you each of your children is trying.
  The bottom line is thank you to mom and dad, Jenny and the boys, 
family and friends for all your work leading up to and in the last six 
years. It's been something that would have made, among other folks, my 
dad proud. That makes me proud and thanks for that.

                          ____________________