A Giant of NY Politics: Cuomo Tributes Pour In

Three-term New York Gov. Mario Cuomo died yesterday, just hours after his son Andrew was inaugurated for a second term as governor, and tributes have poured in from across the political spectrum for the Democrat who led the state from 1983 to 1994.

• President Obama: "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."
• GOP Rep. Peter King: "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."

• NJ Gov. Chris Christie: "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."
• Former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg: "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."
• The Rev. Al Sharpton: "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."
• Republican state Senate Leader Dean Skelos: "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."

(More Mario Cuomo stories.)