[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 57 (Wednesday, April 21, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H2792-H2796]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1915
IN HONOR OF CONGRESSMAN BOB FRANKS
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of
January 6, 2009, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) is
recognized for 60 minutes.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my
colleagues in mourning the passing of Congressman Bob Franks and to
celebrate a life well lived.
I would like to yield to my good friend and colleague, Leonard Lance,
for as much time as he may consume.
Mr. LANCE. Thank you, Congressman Smith.
Mr. Speaker, I join several of my colleagues this evening to pay
tribute to Robert D. Franks, a former New Jersey Member of the House of
Representatives whose compassion rightfully earned him praise and
respect from both sides of the political aisle. Bob died late in the
evening on Friday, April 9. He was 58 years old.
Bob's death at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan
was caused by an aggressive sarcoma which was diagnosed in February. He
was surrounded by his wonderful wife, Fran; their three young and
beautiful daughters, Sara, Kelly, and Abigail; his mother, June; his
sister, Judy; brother-in-law, Jeremy; and niece, Mary Hannah.
Bob was a brilliant political tactician and a natural candidate.
Born in Hackensack, he had been deeply involved in politics since his
youth serving as State chairman of the New Jersey Teenage Republicans
and going door-to-door as a 13-year-old in 1964 in suburban Chicago,
where his family was then living, for Charles H. Percy's campaign for
Governor.
Mr. Franks was graduated from DePauw University in Indiana in 1973.
And after receiving a law degree from Southern Methodist University in
Dallas, he directed campaigns for Governor and Congress in New Jersey
before being elected as a State assemblyman in 1979, representing Union
County for 13 years.
Congressman Bob Franks served twice as Republican State committee
chairman and helped bring the Republican Party to veto-proof majorities
in both Houses of our State legislature.
Elected to Congress in November 1992, Bob Franks was a fiscal
conservative who served on the House Transportation Committee and was
known as a tireless advocate for New Jersey's transportation sector. In
the fall of 1994, Bob helped bring Republicans into the majority by
championing congressional reform measures.
But while Bob Franks relished the game of politics, he was also
respected for his willingness to work with the opposing party. Former
New Jersey Governor Tom Kean said, ``He loved the sport of politics,
but he also thought politics was there for better government.''
Bob was pragmatic, but he stood on principle. I think that State
Senator Kevin O'Toole may have said it best when he said of Bob Franks
that he ``combined being a policy wonk and a politician, that resulted
in one incredibly well-armed and extraordinarily effective elected
official.''
Bob lost a close United States Senate race in 2000 but won the hearts
of all Jerseyans with the tenacity of his campaign. He was serving as
president of the Health Care Institute of New Jersey at the time of his
death, and he was a relentless and compassionate champion for New
Jersey's health care industry and the patients it served.
Bob was a good friend to me, a trusted colleague, and a mentor. He
dedicated his entire public life to making New Jersey a better place
for all of its residents. His work ethic, his values, his relentless
optimism, and his unshakable good humor will be greatly missed by all
of us who knew him. And he stands as a shining example of public
service not only in the State of New Jersey my colleagues and I
represent, but across the United States.
As we mourn his loss, we celebrate his great life; and to his beloved
wife, Fran, and their beautiful daughters we extend our deepest
sympathy. A person, really, who furthered the American tradition of
public service and certainly known and loved by the residents of New
Jersey.
Thank you, Congressman.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I thank my friend for his very powerful
testimonial to our late colleague.
Mr. Speaker, for Bob's surviving wife, Fran and their three
daughters, Kelly, Sara, and Abigail, his mother, June; and sister,
Judy; and the rest of the family, this is a tragic season of
excruciating loss and bereavement. While Bob Franks was a politician's
politician in the best sense of that concept, he was husband, father,
son, and brother first. Nothing compared to his love for and devotion
to his family.
For everyone who has ever had the privilege of knowing him and
calling him ``friend,'' Bob epitomized noble public service. He was
honest, hardworking, extraordinarily effective, and absolutely
determined to make a positive difference for his constituents, the
State, and the Nation. An indomitable optimist, Bob was ever gracious
and stubbornly kind to all, even with those with whom he disagreed. He
treated all with respect, civility, and empathy.
I know my colleagues on the floor today will attest to the fact that
Bob Franks was enthusiastic almost to a fault and always greeted you
with a great big smile, firm handshake, and warm greeting--a reflection
of his great big heart. You usually left any conversation with Bob,
well, smiling.
Bob Franks devoted 21 years of his life to elected public service--13
years in the New Jersey Assembly, 8 years as a Member of Congress, and
he served 4 years as State GOP chairman. In both Trenton and
Washington, Bob was a consistent, powerful voice for a limited
government and reduced taxes.
In the assembly, he was elected twice by his peers to serve as
conference leader. Among his notable achievements, he wrote the State
law creating the transportation trust fund.
In Congress, he served with distinction as chairman of the Economic
Development, Public Buildings, Hazardous Materials, and Pipeline
Transportation Subcommittee.
A master strategist, Bob pushed hard to expand the economy, create
jobs in the private sector, pass tax cuts, enact welfare reform, and
ensure that our military was second to none.
As cochair of the Missing and Exploited Children Caucus, Bob helped
win passage of legislation to protect our children from Internet
predators and impose life imprisonment for persons convicted of killing
a child. A true friend of law enforcement, Bob took the lead in 1998
and won passage of a congressional resolution demanding the Clinton
administration undertake the extradition of cop killer Joanne
Chesimard, a fugitive who fled to Cuba after being convicted of
murdering New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster in May of 1973.
Bob helped create the bipartisan Northeast-Midwest Congressional
Coalition to maximize both regions' political clout in Congress and
played the leading role in promoting fair electrical power policy in
New Jersey.
As my colleague, Leonard, noted a moment ago, he ran for the United
States Senate. He lost. He ran for Governor, and he lost that, too. But
you would never know that from talking to Bob. He was always upbeat
and very positive.
After leaving the Hill, Bob served as the president of the Health
Care Institute of New Jersey, a trade association for the research-
based pharmaceutical and medical technology industry in the State of
New Jersey.
Mr. Speaker, at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, New
Jersey, on Saturday, Governor Chris Christie was joined in moving
remembrance by several former Governors, including Governor Jon
Corzine, Christie Todd Whitman, and Tom Kean, as well as the three
godfathers to Bob and Fran's kids, Roger Bodman, Alfred Fasola, and
Congressman John Kasich.
Governor Chris Christie spoke eloquently at the memorial service and
told those assembled, ``Bob Franks' life was grand and glorious. As
Fran and his daughters know better than anyone, what Bob cared first
and foremost about, despite all of the passions in his life, was family
. . . no matter whether we were talking about politics or business,
because it was something he knew full well: the demands of a public
life, the demands of a private life, and the rewards of paying
attention to both.''
Governor Christie went on to say, ``Bob Franks was enthusiastic in
everything I saw him do. Whether it was
[[Page H2793]]
rooting for the Indianapolis Colts--something that I still do not fully
understand from a guy from New Jersey--whether it was some of the
deepest and most significant policy issues that have faced our country
for over the last 25 years, or whether it was counseling and
encouraging even the smallest of potential leaders for our State.''
Always that enthusiastic Bob Franks.
The Governor went on to say, ``The loss that each of us feel from
Bob's death is significant in the life of our State, significant in the
life of our country, because he served so ably and so well . . . In the
end, I think, that's what we all hope for out of our public officials:
that they care deeply, that they think deeply, that they act
passionately with the ability to inspire. He checked all the boxes.''
Governor Corzine said, in brief part, that this was a ``celebration
of a great life, a good man, a very good man, someone that all of us,
as you have heard, believed in, learned from, and grew from.
``A man of credible character, conviction, courage, but probably the
most defining thing that any of us can say about Bob is he was a man
who loved. He loved politics, loved all of his friends, the folks who
are here, but most of all, most notably he loved his family.''
Governor Tom Kean said, ``Politics for Bob was an honorable
profession which meant responsibility and opportunity for achievement
and very much an exciting adventure. After all, what is the use of
living,'' Governor Kean went on to say, ``if not to strive for great
causes and perhaps make this muddled world of ours a little better
place. Bob did that. He cared about that.''
``We are all better people for having known Bob,'' he went on. ``I
think of him smiling. I think of his cheerfulness. I think of his
enthusiasm, and today,'' Governor Kean concluded, ``I envy the
angels.''
Governor Christie Todd Whitman said, ``You know a lot of people who
are involved in the rough-and-tumble of politics get characterized as
either being really good at the political side of it, the background,
the fierce fighting, or they're the policy wonks, that's what they care
about. Bob was both. He was a fierce, fierce partisan. He was a
Republican. He never made it personal, because he always knew it was
about policy, about doing right by the people of the State. And that's
what made him such a special person.''
Our former Budget Committee chairman here in the House, John Kasich,
who was godfather to one of Bob and Fran's children, summed it up well
when he said, ``Our friendship was forged in the battles of trying to
improve America. That's what it's all about. It was never about
politics. It was always about what we could do to make the world a
better place for our children and their children . . . I don't think
I've ever met a more insightful man than Bob Franks. He could look at
something that everybody else saw and he would see it differently. He
could see twists in it. He could take advantage of it and move the ball
forward.
``How about his cutting-edge humor? Always a little cutting-edge
humor no matter where you were. Sometimes Bob was even good at gallows
humor. You know, when there was not even a speck of light shining in
the room, Bob could make us all laugh. He'd remove the pressure. He'd
have a little quip, and we'd all get the belly laugh going. It would
happen when there was no humor in sight.''
And on loyalty, John said, ``You know what the kids today say, 'You
got my back.' Well, Bob Franks had your back. He didn't care if you
were a Republican or a Democrat, a liberal or a conservative. It didn't
mean anything. When you were his friend, he had your back.''
John Kasich concluded, ``I would like to call him a foxhole guy. And
I measure people, `Are they a foxhole guy.' In other words, can I get
into a foxhole with this guy in the middle of the worst battle you can
imagine and know not only would he not jump out of that foxhole to run
and preserve himself, but he would jump outta that foxhole and fight to
help you. Oh, he was a great foxhole guy,'' he said.
John said, ``In all of the years that I've known him, I've never
heard him say a bad thing about anybody,'' and I know Mr. Frelinghuysen
and others in our delegation can back that up a hundred percent. And
finally Kasich said, ``There is no question he left the world a better
place.''
So, Mr. Speaker, there is no question Bob Franks left New Jersey, he
left the Nation and the world a better place, and we will deeply miss
him.
I would like to yield to my good friend and colleague, Mr.
Frelinghuysen.
{time} 1930
Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. I thank the gentleman, the dean of the New Jersey
congressional delegation, for yielding to me.
Mr. Speaker, last Saturday morning I joined the New Jersey family at
the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark as we honored the
life of former Congressman Bob Franks and comforted his wife, Fran, and
their three young daughters.
As others did last Saturday, I rise in tribute to my longtime friend
and our colleague, Bob Franks. New Jersey is a better place to live,
work and raise a family, because for nearly his entire adult life, Bob
Franks selflessly served our beloved State. It was a pleasure to serve
with him for many years in the New Jersey State Assembly in Trenton and
then in this very Chamber in the House of Representatives.
From those shared experiences, and there were many, I know the people
in New Jersey have lost an energetic and intelligent advocate, and I
have lost a dear and trusted friend. It's a tragic fact of life that
many of us in New Jersey have spent a great deal of time of late
talking about Bob Franks these past few days. I am struck that in those
conversations certain common themes recur.
Bob Franks was authentic. He was patriotic. He was keen. Bob Franks
was always optimistic. He was astute in every way. He was humorous. He
was honorable, a true son of New Jersey.
Bob Franks always built others up, mentored to young people, always
encouraging them to enter public service.
Bob Franks was trusted and never would break his word. He was always
warm and sincere. He absolutely loved politics. And even in this rough
and tumble world he always had a good word for men and women in the
political arena, whether they were Republicans or Democrats or none of
the above.
Bob Franks was tireless with unbridled enthusiasm. You were lucky to
be on his team or on his side, that broad trademark smile, a good and
decent man, irrepressible, full of life and love for his family, first
and foremost. That's why we all were shocked 12 days ago when the news
came that God had called him home at such a young age.
Mr. Speaker, Bob Franks loved public service. He loved the New Jersey
Assembly and his service in Congress. He loved his family, our Nation,
New Jersey and his constituents in that order, and he loved all these
things with a passion that exceeded the most energetic enthusiasts.
I will never forget his work ethic, his valuable service, and his
enduring friendship. We have lost a great man who stood for principles
and who lived a life in which we could all learn.
May the tributes and prayers of so many of our colleagues here today
be a source of strength with wife Fran and their daughters, Kelly, Sara
and Abigail. Our hearts break, along with theirs, but our memories will
always remain bright.
And when we recall that trademark smile, we will all remember this
favorite son of New Jersey, Bobby Franks.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I thank my good friend for his very eloquent
statement, and we will all miss Bobby Franks.
Remarks from current and present elected officials who
spoke at the April 17, 2010 memorial service for former U.S.
Congressman and former N.J. Assemblyman Bob Franks, who died
April 9, 2010. The service took place at the Cathedral
Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark NJ.:
new jersey gov. chris christie
Bob Franks' life was grand and glorious as Fran and his
daughters know better than anyone, what Bob cared first and
foremost about despite all of the passions in his life was
family.
This summer as I had many discussion with Bob about lots of
different topics he would always end each of those
conversations we had whether it was in person or over the
telephone, by asking me, in fact imploring me, `You're
spending time with Mary
[[Page H2794]]
Pat, right?' have you gone to some of the kids baseball
games?' It was the way he ended each and everyone of those
conversations, no matter whether we were talking about
politics or business because it was something he knew full
well: the demands of a public life, the demands of a private
life, and the rewards of paying attention to both.
Bob Franks' smile is the thing I will remember most, about
him. When he saw you his face immediately lit up, and in turn
he lit up the room. His enthusiasm was mentioned just before.
And he was enthusiastic in everything I saw him do. Whether
it was rooting for the Indianapolis Colts--something that
still do not fully understand, from a guy from NJ--whether it
was some of the deepest and most significant policy issues
that have faced our country over the last 25 years, or
whether it was counseling and encouraging even the smallest
of potential leaders for our state, I speak about that last
part from personal experience. I met Bob Franks in July of
1995 I was a first-term Freeholder who had just run for the
General Assembly, and had come in sixth out of six. And in
the aftermath of that primary, I received a call from
Congressman Franks' office. And the person on the staff said,
`The Congressman would like to know if you'd like to come by
his district office Friday for lunch. He'd like to speak to
you.'
And I immediately said yes, of course. I thought to myself
`It must be losers' week at Bob Franks' office. And I went
there that day to have lunch with Bob Franks. I had no idea
what the agenda was and I had no idea why I was going there.
For an hour and 45 minutes Bob Franks sat with me to dissect
why I had lost the race, why I had done so poorly, what I
wanted to do with my future and how he thought was the best
way to get there. I want to emphasis with you: I had never
met him. He saw something in me in that campaign that
obviously no one who voted did. And he implored me at the end
of the meeting to not give up, not give up on a public life.
He encouraged me to continue to fight. It will be the
enduring gift that Bob Franks gave to me. And if you look
around this cathedral today, there are literally hundreds of
people who can say exactly the same thing. It's just a
different date and a different time and a different challenge
that was before them in that stage of their life. And it was
Bob Franks who patted them on the back. It was Bob Franks who
got in their face and told them not to quit. It was Bob
Franks who by his example showed them that in fact anything
was possible if you were willing to work hard enough, listen
enough, and care deeply enough about making your community a
better place.
The loss that each of us will feel from Bob's death is
significant--significant in the life of our state,
significant in the life of our country, because he served so
ably and so well because of that enthusiasm, that fire and
that ability to inspire others. In the end, I think, that's
what we all hope for out of our public officials: that they
care deeply, that they think deeply, that they act
passionately with the ability to inspire. He checked all the
boxes. And the loss we feel is miniscule compared to the loss
that his family feels. Because for all that he did for us, he
was much, much more for them. This summer, the last time I
met with Bob before I became governor, he said to me as I was
leaving the meeting, `Don't worry about what happens--whether
you win or you lose. Winning would be great, but even if you
lose, I can tell you from personal experience. Life will get
better.' He told me `I have felt that the last couple of
years out of public life, because it has allowed me to get
even closer to Fran and to the girls. And so Bob provided
hope from either end of the spectrum for whatever was going
to happen to you and your life. I know that the legacy he
leaves is sitting here in this cathedral this morning and the
circles that go out from here, because Bob Franks did what
every leader aspires to do: and this is to inspire others.
He has certainly inspired me. God bless you, Fran and the
girls. And God Bless Bob for a life well spent.
former gov. jon corzine
I feel like a little loner up here. I'm not just sure how I
identify, but I am thrilled to be here.
Fran, I could not be more privileged or honored, to stand
and say some words in celebration of a great life, of a good
man, a very good man, someone that all of us, as you have
heard, believed in, learned from, grew from.
A man of credible character, conviction, courage, but
probably the most defining thing that I think any of us can
say about Bob is that he is a man who loved. He loved
politics, loved all of his friends, the folks who are here,
but most of all, most notably he loved his family. Fran,
Sara, Abby and Kelly--a remarkable, remarkable testimony to
his humanity and care. There was no pure, nor more poignant
view of love than to have a conversation with Bob about his
wife and his daughters.
Others have spoken about that smile, but the thought and
site of those girls, all those girls brought a joy and a
light that I don't think I've seen in the passions that I've
seen in other people anytime in life. You know, I'm probably
like a lot of you. I have more pictures of Bob Franks' girls
than I have of my own grandkids, because you couldn't have a
meeting, a breakfast, a beer or anything else with Bob where
he didn't share a picture and a posting on how the girls were
doing. It meant so much to him. A special part of when you
had that posting was that smile that was there as he talked
about it. It was always, always there. Everybody else has
said it. It was the most winning smile anyone could imagine.
And almost never saw him not smile, except for a couple of
occasions. Anytime the Giants were playing the Colts he had
his game face on. I'm like Gov. Christie; I don't know where
in the heck he got that view from, but that's the way it is.
And then there were the days when we were running against
each other for the United States Senate.
It wasn't always smiles. Neither of us were smiling while
the ads were running. In fact, I remember sitting on stage
one night down at Rider College, I think it was, before a
debate, we were getting mic-ed up. And he did smile, and we
laughed, and we teased each other about the theater and maybe
even a little bit about the B.S. that comes as you go through
that process. And then he proceeded over the next 90 minutes
to absolutely take me apart on healthcare, early childhood
education and anything else, and the only time I saw him
smile was when he dubbed me `Mr. Universal' in that night.
Some of you remember that. It stuck, and I definitely
remember him smiling at me that night. I actually was
frowning.
Anyone who followed Bob's career knew that once he found a
winning argument, he knew how to stick with it. I must have
heard that phrase, `Mr. Universal' a million times over the
next six weeks. Message, message, message. When it came to
politics, Bob knew it as well or better than anyone. And he
demonstrated a remarkable talent in that campaign, because he
took $6 million and made it something that was worth a lot
more. And he showed what a pro could do.
There was also something about that campaign that he and I
actually grew to respect each other. You heard Congressman
Kasich say that mutual respect is an important ingredient in
our public life. Bob really believed that two people could be
of principles--sometimes of different views but principled--
but they didn't have to be disagreeable, as we often hear.
And after that campaign and over the years, we grew into an
easy friendship based on that perspective, developed over
time. We are occasional parishioners at Chuck's church, we
were commiseraters over breakfast or over a beer. I did a lot
with him as we supported the NJ National Guard. He did so
much to support our troops that were in Iraq. And he fought
for the things he believed in in political life in a lot of
ways, but most of all even for a Democrat he became one of
those people who offered guidance, offered perspective,
offered counsel. He was true to the words that he would be a
friend. Of course we had to sneak him in and out of
Drumthwacket, and then we had to meet in the wine cellar for
breakfast in Summit, Grand Summit Hotel. I was never sure
whose reputation we were defending, his or mine.
And then there were those moments at Christ's Church when
we both showed up at the same time. Bob and his family on the
right side. Of course, I was on the left side. We both fell
into a pattern of rolling our eyes when Chuck would tell some
miserable jokes about politics, which was all too frequent.
It was almost a paradox because Bob was such a wonderful
human being. You always wonder sometimes why he was in
politics. People always trump politics in his life. He was a
happy warrior. He had a passion for service and a strong
sense of responsibility for community. But most importantly,
as you heard others say, he loved his family. I know this is
an unspeakable time for the Franks family, for Fran and the
girls. There is nothing fair or right about losing Bob.
I was reminded of a Winston Churchill phrase upon hearing
of the death of Harry Hopkins. He said ``a strong, bright
fierce flame has burned out of a frail body.'' Churchill was
making clear we should never confuse the body and the soul.
The strong, bright, fierce flame of Bob's soul lives in those
three beautiful, beautiful girls, Abby, Sara and Kelly. His
generosity and spirit, his love of people and life, his sense
of purpose, justice, and oh, that smile, always that smile,
will be with his girls, always. And with all of us as well.
God bless Bob, his family and thank you for the life he has
lived.
gov. christie todd whitman
Fran, Kelly, Sara, Abby, I hope you get a chance at some
point to stand up and just absorb this room.
Everyone here is a friend, or an admirer, a support of
someone Bob mentored. They are here out of love. They are
here out of love for Bob and what he stood for, and here for
you, for the family. You know a lot of people who are
involved in the rough-and-tumble of politics get
characterized as either being really good at the political
side of it, the background, the fierce fighting, or they're
the policy wonks, that's what they care about. Bob was both.
He was a fierce, fierce partisan. He was a Republican. He
never made it personal, because he always knew it was about
policy, about doing right by the people of the state. And
that's what made him such a special person.
He was a true gentleman, in every sense of the word. He
honored the profession. He loved it. He had that smile. He
lit up a room. But because he really cared. There was nothing
fake about it. He wasn't putting it on. He loved and cared
about everything. Of course we know he loved and cared most
about his family. I can remember, Kelly, how many
[[Page H2795]]
times did we get together at events. Your father and I would
be talking about strategy or something and then all of the
sudden your mom and you would walk into the room and then
that was it. Forget the rest of it. It was his girls, the
people he cared about the most. It was always first and
foremost. But it was because he cared about all of it, all of
us, what he was doing.
His legacy, the people he mentored, all of that is
important. We are remembering it here today and people care
about it. But his real legacy is his family. And while each
of you might not be able to turn around and see him sitting
next to you with that sparkle in his eyes, he's there. He's
in your hearts, he's the angels on your shoulder. He will
always be there with you and for you. And he set an example,
that is unmatched, and you are very very lucky to have had
him. We are all very lucky to have had him, but though for
all too short a period. It just reminds us all to take those
special people and special moments and bring them close to
our heart and never let that flame die. You know, Bob's flame
is going to live on forever.
Thank you for letting me be part of today.
Governor tom kean
This has been quite a week. I have not been to an event all
week long, of any kind, where Bob hasn't been mentioned.
Where there hasn't been some remarks, where there hasn't been
some longing, been some discussion, public and private. And
now to culminate in this.
I think I counted seven former governors here today. I see
our two United States Senators, I see the Congressional
delegation. I see the legislature out there members of county
government, and all of you who Bob touched in some way or
another. But Fran, for you and your girls, June, for that
remarkable young man that you brought up, we are here today.
We come to pound on your heart with love.
I remember that first time that I met Bob. There were two
of us running, myself, a fellow called Phil Cottonbacker, and
we're both in our early thirties. And in some ways we really
didn't know what we were doing, but we were doing our best,
knocking on doors, trying to meet people. And then one day,
Bob came, out of Summit High School. And I remember because
that's the first time I saw that smile we're all talking
about. That's when I saw the cheerfulness. That's when I saw
the optimism. He already knew as much about politics as I
did, maybe more. I learned something else about Bob. Bob was
a pied piper, because first Bob came to volunteer, then he
brought a friend, then he brought two friends, then three and
four friends. Soon we had 10 people from Bob's class,
knocking on doors, going to supermarkets, passing out
literature, pressing envelopes, whatever we needed, because
Bob made it fun. Bob made it fun for other people. Bob was
sometimes, I think, you know, meeting Bob was like opening a
bottle of fine champagne. Everything, everything was good at
that point.
Well, we won that election and Bob and I stayed in touch.
And it came a number of years later--I'm going to talk about
three basic incidents in my life Bob touched. I was trying to
decide whether to run for governor. I'd lost once already in
a primary. My family was not terribly enthusiastic about the
prospect. I knew there were other strong candidates in the
field. I knew that one of them had much more money then we
would ever be able to spend. I knew that another one had much
more party support than I would ever get. And so the serious
question was whether to take this one on. Well it wasn't a
serious question to Bob. Not at all. Bob was on the phone.
Bob was there in person. Bob was running around the state.
Bob was doing whatever it took, and he would never let me for
a minute even consider the possibility, that I wasn't going
to run. He basically beat on my door until I finally
declared. And once I declared, the campaign was basically run
out of Bob's car for a while. I mean he became my first
campaign manager. People would call me from different parts
of the state who I'd never heard of, saying `You know, I'd
like to support you for governor.' I'd say `That's wonderful.
You like my ideas?' They'd say `No, I like Bob Franks.'
And, of course, Bob brought a number of assets, because not
only did he bring that wonderful enthusiasm and excitement
and all of that, he brought Al Fasola and Roger Bodman. And
once you had Al Fasola, and Roger Bodman and Bob Franks, it
didn't matter who had the money, it didn't matter who had the
political support--I think we ended up with four county
chairmen out of 21. It didn't matter. You were going to win,
because you had the best. And Bob was such an important part
of that and our whole campaign with that enthusiasm. He got
people in the legislature to defy their own county
organizations and their own county parties and come out and
endorse me, and those of you in politics know how tough that
is for anybody to do. He was a remarkable. And I'll say it
here: I don't know if I would have run or not, but I
certainly would not have been elected if it were not for the
efforts of Bob Franks.
When I got there, there were a lot of problems. We were in
a debt point, in a recession as we are now. We had a billion
dollar deficit, had a legislature of the other party, both
houses, and it was difficult. It was very, very difficult.
But there in my office, would be Bob. And Bob would come it,
with that smile, that cheerfulness and that optimism, showing
me how we could do it, how we could get something done. He
would bring in not only Republicans but Democrats. He would
tell me `Have you talked to this assemblyman, or that
senator? You know he's the other party, but he's really a
good person, and you can talk to them about issues.' And we
did that.
We put together some of those coalitions. But always,
always in the background was Bob, who cared so much, who
wanted to see it done right, who did it himself, always the
right way. You know he was always positive. He was never
down. He loved his colleagues in both his parties. He could
be partisan, but never negative, never nasty in any way at
all. He cared so much. The bottom line I think, that not only
did he love politics, but he cared so much about people. He
loved them: individuals, peoples who touched his life and he
came back and touched theirs in a very, very important way.
Politics for Bob was an honorable profession which meant
responsibility and opportunity for achievement and very much
an exciting adventure. After all, what is the use of living,
if not to strive for great causes and perhaps make this
muddled world of ours a little better place. Bob did that. He
cared about that.
The Reverend mentioned St. Paul, when he was in that
prison. He wrote something else. He wrote to his best friend,
he wrote a note. He wrote to Timothy. He wrote these letters,
these words, I think most of you know, to Timothy. He said:
`I have fought the good fight. I have finished my course. I
have kept the faith.'
Bob could have spoken those words. Fran, you and the girls
ought to be so proud, June you ought to be so very proud. We
are all better people for having known Bob. I think of him
smiling, I think of his cheerfulness, I think of his
enthusiasm, and today, I envy the angels.
Former Congressman John Kasich
Look around. It's amazing today, isn't it? You know, on the
wall of Bob's house is a poster of Bobby Kennedy who would be
surprised? He was a man of great passion, just like Bob. I
remember as a young man, one young girl holding a sign as
Bobby Kennedy passed by, and the sign said: ``Bring Us
Together.'' Bob Franks has brought us together, hasn't he?
And not just the people at the top. He's brought so many of
his young proteges here today who have grown from young into
almost middle-aged men. Bob was a truly remarkable man and
our friendship was forged in the battles of trying to improve
America. That's what it was all about. It was never about the
politics. It was always about what we could do to make the
world a little better place for our children and their
children.
Last week I sat down with some of the people who were on
this team. We went through thick and thin, through government
shutdowns, and criticisms and blowups and yelling and all
wonderful debate that sometimes accompanies politics when it
isn't personal. It's part of life, it's part of what makes
this republic special. And we listed a couple of things that
we wanted to think about Bob, and I wanted to tell you about
Bob.
First of all, insightful. I don't think I ever met a more
insightful man than Bob Franks. He could look at something
that everybody else saw and he would always see it
differently. He could see the twist in it. He could take
advantage of it to move the ball downfield. How about his
cutting-edge humor? Always a little cutting-edge humor no
matter where you were. Sometimes Bob was even good at gallows
humor. You know when there was not even a speck of light
shining in the room, Bob could make us all laugh. He'd remove
the pressure. He'd have the little quip, and we'd all get the
belly laugh going. It would happen when there was no humor in
sight.
Loyalty. You know kids today say `You got my back?' Bob
Franks had your back. He didn't care if you were a Republican
or a Democrat, a liberal or a conservative. It didn't mean
anything. When You were his friend, he had your back. And he
exemplified exactly what we mean by that term.
Friendly. Well he's known for that smile. Some said
earlier, he walked into a room and lit it up. And that was
exactly right, because he had that 100 megawatt smile that
sort of transmitted a sense of strength. He had a sense that
things are going to be OK, things are going to be good.
Things can be really great.
Bob never attacked anybody else. In all the years I knew
him I never heard him say a bad thing about anybody. He was
smart. And what made him so smart is that he understood that
the key to life was not the divisions that exist between
people, but the friendships that potentially could be
developed. And he was a smart of a guy as I ever met and he
transferred on to these three angels down here [gestures to
Franks' daughters] because they're as smart as can be.
Great strategist? Didn't want to be up against him, did
you? Nobody wanted to be up against Bob when he got into
strategy, and frankly, think about what a great general he
would have been in the military. He could have sat in that
tent and figured how to take advantage of every opportunity.
And that's exactly what he did working with me to do
something that hadn't been done in about 40 years.
Oh, he loved his family. Gov. Christie's right. My
conversations were always `Mr. Chairman, how's the family.
How's the girls'. I'd said `Chairman, how's your family?' It
always started that way. Kinda always ended that way.
[[Page H2796]]
God, did he love his friends. Roger Bodman, Al Fasola. Oh,
and Laura. Ah, he just loved you to pieces. And of course he
so loved his family, and so loved Fran and those sweet girls.
Saw Kelly yesterday, that she gave me a big hug. And through
the gate, they were in the back yard, I got a chance to see
Sara and Abbey really for the first time. Little angels, and
a tribute to Fran and to Bob.
Of course he loved his Colts. Governor, I could never
figure it our either. I mean that Colt thing was just
unbelievable.
He could give you bad news, couldn't he governor? He could
give you bad news but in such a way that you could accept it.
He gave more bad news more of the time than I can even
believe! But I heard it, and I accepted it because he had
that special something. When he gave you a little bad news,
you knew that he had your back. You knew that he was right
with you.
You could never be mad at Bob Franks. That was impossible.
No matter what he did to you, you loved him. You never go
upset with him. I guess it was always because you knew he had
your back.
What a listener Bob was. You know, it was one of the things
that many of us have to do better. Bob could reply and
understand because he listened. He listened intently to
anything you had to say.
I liked to call him a foxhole guy. And I measure people
`Are they a foxhole guy.' In other words can I get into a
foxhole with this guy in the middle of the worst battle you
can imagine and know not only would he not jump out of that
foxhole to run and preserve himself, but he would jump out of
that foxhole and fight to help you. Oh, he was a great
foxhole guy.
Friendship. Today in the age of a media culture, fleeting,
situational, conditional, tattered--not with Bob. His
friendship had nothing to do with situations and conditions,
he would be friend to you through thick and thin. And frankly
when we think about it we can learn so much about what
character and principle and tenacity is when we study the
life of Bob Franks.
There is no question he left the world a better place.
Earlier today in the private ceremony, I wish you all could
have heard the testimonies to Bob. And under all of them was
a deep and abiding love and a sense that he made everybody
better because he believed in them. He made this world a much
better place. He inspires us. And I was inspired this morning
listening to the testimony of his dearest friends and family
and the young people that he raised. They're going to leave
their mark on the world and they're leaving it right now as
one of the top aides to the governor of the State of New
Jersey. Yeah, I'm going to miss Bob. I'm going to miss those
calls. But you know I'm going to remember this day, the
testimonies this morning, and this crowd, which is all about
how great his life was and about how many lives he impacted
and affected in a real way.
You know, Reverend, the Lord gives us a big promise. I've
never known the Lord, as I've studied it, to break his
promises. Fran, he promises in the next life, no more tears,
no more heartache, no more broken relationships, no more war,
no more death, and only happiness and fulfillment to be put
under the wings of the Lord.
I believe it. That's where Bob's today. God, Bless you Bob.
We love you, we miss you. We'll see you soon.
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