The Kline Record: More From the Congressional Record

On January 21, 2004, John Kline once again served as Speaker Pro Tempore. That's the whole Kline record for that month.

The whole Kline record for February 2004 was Kline's annual ode to Ronald Reagan on his birthday:

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in honoring a man who will forever remain a symbol of the American dream.

I had the great good fortune and high honor to serve as military aide to President Reagan during my time in the United States Marine Corps. As the officer assigned to carry the "nuclear football," I had the opportunity to observe the President in a wide variety of situations.

Ronald Reagan was already well known before he entered the Presidential field. Through a variety of careers, his thoughtful, caring nature and engaging personality were well established. Friends and colleagues alike recognized him as gifted, some would say the "great communicator," who was as accomplished a listener as he was a speaker. Strong in character and always quick with a joke, the best joke teller I ever knew, candidate Reagan, Governor Reagan, earned the allegiance, trust, and respect of a Nation and was elected as our 40th President.

What struck me almost immediately when I began my service to President Reagan was the strong sense of leadership he exuded. Perhaps more than any other leader in contemporary history, President Reagan knew when to trust his staff and when not to allow his beliefs to be swayed. On routine matters, President Reagan displayed enormous confidence in his staff, I am proud to say, including me. When told, for example, "Mr. President, please stand here," he agreed affably. On matters of substance, however, he was guided by unwavering principle and would not be moved.

President Ronald Reagan applied this principle to the many challenges he faced. The economic policy of Reaganomics was met with initial skepticism and scorn, but its success validated his vision of how to address the faltering economy he inherited.

In international matters, his unflinching opposition to communism led to its demise and earned the enduring allegiance of former adversaries. This principled vision inspired men and women of all political persuasions to put the best interest of our Nation ahead of their respective political parties. By holding to his vision of America as a beacon for the rest of the world, he brought freedom, hope and opportunity to millions here and abroad.

Today we honor President Reagan for his achievement, his leadership and his enduring example. Happy birthday, Mr. President, and thank you.

You can tell that Kline has a year in Congress under his belt at this point; his bloviating has gained greater volume and rhetorical flourish.

Kline was Speaker Pro-Tem for most (all?) Tuesdays in the month of March. His only other action in March was to play a part in George Bush's election-year "I was honorably discharged from TANG so shut up about my military record" policy. More on that in the next post.