[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 78 (Friday, May 11, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S6015]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO GREG STEVENS

 Mr. VOINOVICH. Mr. President, today I pay tribute to the late 
Gregory Clark Stevens--an incredible political strategist, loyal 
Republican, wonderful husband and father and a terrific friend to me 
and my wife Janet.
  Last month, our Lord took Greg from us after 58 years on Earth. 
Greg's last days weren't easy on him or his family as he suffered from 
brain cancer. But he was able to find an inner peace that I know helped 
him in his final days.
  Looking back, Greg had a full and accomplished career--a career that 
led to many people, including myself, getting elected and doing immense 
good for our Nation.
  After graduating from the University of Maine in 1971, he spent half 
a decade as a reporter in New Jersey, and was then hired as President 
Gerald Ford's reelection campaign press secretary. He was hired by 
former New Jersey assemblyman turned campaign manager for Ford, Thomas 
Kean. Kean later returned to New Jersey and, after a defeat running for 
the same office, he was later elected Governor and hired Greg to be his 
communications director. When Kean was reelected in 1981 he made Greg 
his chief of staff.
  A fellow Ohioan, Roger Ailes, hired Greg in 1988 to work on Vice 
President George H.W. Bush's campaign for the Presidency. Then, 2 years 
later, Greg ran my successful campaign to be Governor of the great 
State of Ohio.
  A few years later Greg opened his own consulting business in the 
Washington suburbs and had many clients. I remained one of them, with 
Greg running my multimedia campaign in 1994 for my second term as 
Governor, then in 1998 and 2004 for my current Senate seat. He did a 
marvelous job and we became good friends. And it meant a great deal to 
Janet and me that we had someone working with us who cared so much 
about us personally. We always said hiring Greg was the best decision 
we ever made.
  But it was his genuine caring for me and my family that translated 
into his incredible television ads that helped get and keep me elected. 
Greg always ``got us,'' we used to say, and got our values. And he 
communicated those values through his commercials in a way that no one 
else could.
  Over the years Greg has worked for many famous people and been 
involved in numerous historic and epic political battles. But that is 
not how I really remember him. I remember Greg as a fine man and good 
friend.
  As time goes on and we get older, and our families seem to grow and 
grow, our free time seems to shrink more and more. So there wasn't a 
lot of time for me to make it up to Maine to see my friend Greg. But I 
did take the time to send him a letter right before he passed.
  In that letter I reminded him of the good work he did on behalf of me 
and the Nation, and about how I cherished our friendship and fighting 
the good fight together, but also about how worried I am about our kids 
and grandkids and what kind of opportunities they will have in the 
future. I told him I would love to talk to him about these things again 
soon but, unfortunately, time ran out.
  Greg Stevens meant a lot to a lot of people. And he did so much good 
while he was with us here on Earth.
  A minister's son, I know Greg found comfort knowing this life was not 
all there was. I concluded my letter to Greg with this: ``I'm sure you 
are comforted by the thought that you will be with our Father, 
eternally happy, and that one day we all will be together again.''
  I look forward to seeing my good friend Greg once again.

                          ____________________