Reaction to the death of former three-term Gov. Mario Cuomo, who died Thursday hours after his son, Andrew, was sworn in for his second term as governor.
“An Italian Catholic kid from Queens, born to immigrant parents, Mario paired his faith in God and faith in America to live a life of public service – and we are all better for it. He rose to be chief executive of the state he loved, a determined champion of progressive values, and an unflinching voice for tolerance, inclusiveness, fairness, dignity, and opportunity.” – President Barack Obama.
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“I was deeply inspired by Mario Cuomo’s ‘Tale of Two Cities’ speech at the 1984 Democratic National Convention. His words ring as true today as they did more than 30 years ago … So often the voice of conscience, Mario Cuomo was one of the great leaders in the history of the Empire State and perhaps our greatest communicator.” – New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver
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