So he and friends hitchhiked to a service station to get it fixed. As they approached the outskirts of the city, they ran out of gas. So they pushed the car up the hill, coasting into town just before the deadline. Tom went on to win the race by a resounding 54 votes. There is no question there may have been some luck of the irish operating when it came to tom foley, as well as incredible stamina. What led him to make history as the first speaker of the house from west of the rockies was not luck. It was his hard work. His deep integrity. And is powerful intellect. As michael so eloquently and movingly stated, his ability to find Common Ground with his colleagues across the aisle. It was his personal decency that helped him bring stability and order to a congress that demanded most both, and still does. It brings me to a final point. At a time when our political system can seem more polarized and more divided than ever before, it can be tempting to see the possibility of bipartisan pro