Remarks at a Reception for Representative Stanford E. Parris in Alexandria, Virginia

I think most of you know I was originally scheduled to get together and help Stan, if he thought it might be helpful, before I got this new job and this new responsibility. I wanted to do it then, and I am here now because the Fords lived in Stan's Congressional district a good part of the time in the last several years, and we thought as a constituent of Stan's that he did a first-class job.

We talked with our neighbors. That was their impression, and of course, it fortified my own deep conviction that Stan was an outstanding Member of the Congress.

I had an opportunity to work with him following his swearing in. I was impressed not only with his background when he served all of you so well, I was impressed with Stan's willingness to look at an issue and to decide it on its merits.

He was independent when he thought he was right and I was wrong. It didn't happen too often. [Laughter] But when he agreed with me, he was a strong and staunch ally and was very effective in helping to get others to join us in whatever the issue was.

So, on the basis of his experience, on the basis of Stan's willingness to be a real teamplayer, and yet on the respect that I had for him to be independent when he thought it was the right thing to do, I am delighted to be here and to show to all of you and to any others that might be interested that I think Stan Parris has done a great job, and I surely hope he is reelected.

It was a wonderful thing for me to meet, as I came to the door, your fine Governor, Mills Godwin. I said to Mills, when he was campaigning last fall, that I envied the State of Virginia when he was a Democratic Governor because I thought he did a great job. And I was so pleased to contribute to a very minor degree last fall when he was a candidate, because I think he has proven to all of us that the State of Virginia is lucky to have him as a Governor.

I see some of my former House colleagues here. They are the kind of people that, in my judgment, make a good representative in the House of Representatives.

Bob, it is nice to see you. Is anybody else here? Dan? Is Kenny here? Well, those are the kind of people that I think are first-class.

I did see Dick Obenshain, and I think you know how strongly I feel about him. He is our new cochairman of the Republican Party in the United States, and we are fortunate to have Dick joining us in trying to broaden our party's representation on a nationwide basis.

I just would like to conclude by expressing my appreciation for all of you being here to show your support for Stan. Stan is a first-class Member of the House of Representatives, and I am going to rely on him in this session, and I know that he will be back so I can rely on him in the next Congress.

Thank you very, very much.