What's being said about Mario Cuomo's death
Reaction to the death of former three-term New York 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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"Mario's life was the very embodiment of the American dream. ... It was Mario Cuomo's great gift and our good fortune that he was both a sterling orator and a passionate public servant. His life was a blessing." __ President Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton.
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"He had room for everybody. There's so much polarization these days. People constrict democracy. But he was a big tent visionary ... He represented that 'light in dark places.' I knew him well and remember him fondly." __ The Rev. Jesse Jackson.
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"He was one of the most principled and courageous public servants I have ever known. He was a forceful voice for civil rights, for equal rights, for economic opportunity and justice. He had the courage to stand by his convictions, even when it was unpopular." __ Vice President Joe Biden.
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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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"Mario Cuomo was a man of unwavering principle who possessed a compassion for humankind without equal. He established the gold standard in New York State for how public servants should act, and set an example that the rest of us continue to aspire to today. " - New York Mayor Bill de Blasio.
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"Mario Cuomo was a legendary figure in New York politics who chose public service for all the right reasons. He could have run for President or been appointed to the Supreme Court, but he chose to stay and serve the people of New York." - Republican state Senate Leader Dean Skelos.
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"He was a strong, eloquent leader who loved New York and its people. As an Italian-American, he was also a role model for future generations that anything was possible through hard work and education. Finally, he was a great husband, father and grandfather." - New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
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"He was tenacious about the issues he was passionate about and was a truly gifted orator. The Democratic Party was stronger because of his leadership on a national level." - New York Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.
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"I would not be involved in New York politics were it not for Mario Cuomo. He is, and will always remain, one of my heroes." - New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.
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"From the hard streets of Queens, Mario Cuomo rose to the very pinnacle of political power in New York because he believed in his bones in the greatness of this state, the greatness of America and the unique potential of every individual. ... He was a colossal political mind and represented the very best of public service." - U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.
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"Mario Cuomo was a giant of New York government and politics. As much as anyone he understood and appreciated the mosaic that was New York. All who knew Mario Cuomo were better for it." - U.S. Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y.
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"He never swayed with the political winds - whether on the death penalty or any other issue - and he earned a spot alongside Theodore Roosevelt, Charles Evans Hughes, Al Smith, and Franklin Roosevelt in the pantheon of New York's great progressive governors." - Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
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"As a young lawyer at Willkie Farr & Gallagher, I had the extraordinary good luck of occupying the office next to his when he joined the firm in 1995. ... Once, after the 1996 presidential election, he asked me what I thought of it. I said, "We won." He then asked, "What have we won?" It's a follow-up question I've never forgotten, and one I ask myself frequently. The answer he taught me: "We've won a grant of time, a short opportunity to do some good.'" __ U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, D-N.Y.
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"I join with all New Yorkers in mourning the loss of former Governor Mario Cuomo. He will forever be remembered for his love of our great state, his immense talent as a gifted orator and as the proud son of Italian immigrants. He was a man of integrity and faith who worked every day to improve the lives of all New Yorkers." - Westchester County, New York, Executive Robert P. Astorino, whom Andrew Cuomo defeated for re-election in November.
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"The passing of Governor Mario Cuomo is a true loss to the nation, the state and lovers of civil rights and liberties. He was the last liberal giant of New York politics and was a true statesman/politician. We debated often but he never would reduce our disagreements to petty personal grudges. He was a philosopher at heart that always saw the bigger picture." - The Rev. Al Sharpton.
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"We have lost a giant of New York State politics - a man of great intellect, high principle and incomparable oratorical ability. I was privileged to know him and serve with him."- Robert Abrams, who served as Attorney General when Cuomo was governor.