By Jim Greenwood
I have been an enthusiastic participant in our nation’s political and policy institutions literally since my childhood when my father served as a Republican Supervisor in Northampton Township, Bucks County. After my college graduation I worked as a district assistant doing constituent services for State Representative John Renninger and then as his campaign manager in his unsuccessful campaign for Congress in 1976. I was a local Republican committeeman in Plumstead Township. I was elected to the State House at the age of 29, six years later to the State Senate and, in 1992, to Congress.
I voted my Republican Party’s line when I thought it was right and deviated when I thought it inconsistent with the majority views of my constituents. I passed legislation with bipartisan support when issues did not break down along partisan lines. I believed that compromising on matters of policy was often the best way to make progress, but that compromising on principle was di