| − | '''Tom Ridge''' (born August 26, 1945) is a former governor of [[Pennsylvania]] (1995 to 2001) and the [[United States]] [[Secretary of Homeland Security]] from 2001 to December, 2004. He attended [[Harvard University]] and graduated in 1967. In 1982, after serving in the [[Vietnam War]] with the Army and earning his law degree, he was elected to Congress as a Representative. He was reelected an amazing six terms in a row.<ref>http://www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/ridgebio.html</ref> In 1995 he was elected governor of the state of [[Pennsylvania]] where he served two terms in office. Shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the [[The Pentagon|Pentagon]] and [[World Trade Centers]], Ridge was appointed by President [[George W. Bush]] as the first Office of Homeland Security Advisor in the history of the [[United States]]. He held the position until he stepped down on December 2, 2004.<ref>http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/11/30/ridge/</ref> He was replaced with [[Michael Chertoff]]. | + | '''Tom Ridge''' (born August 26, 1945) is a former governor of [[Pennsylvania]] (1995 to 2001) and the [[United States]] [[Secretary of Homeland Security]] from 2001 to December, 2004. He attended [[Harvard University]] and graduated in 1967. In 1982, after serving in the [[Vietnam War]] with the Army and earning his law degree, he was elected to Congress as a Representative. He was reelected an amazing six terms in a row.<ref>http://www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/ridgebio.html</ref> In 1995 he was elected governor of the state of [[Pennsylvania]] where he served two terms in office. Shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the [[The Pentagon|Pentagon]] and [[World Trade Centers]], Ridge was appointed by President [[George W. Bush]] as the first Office of Homeland Security Advisor in the history of the [[United States]]. He held the position until he stepped down on December 2, 2004.<ref>https://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/11/30/ridge/</ref> He was replaced with [[Michael Chertoff]]. |
| | Ridge was widely cited as a potential running mate for [[John McCain]] in his 2008 bid for the White House. His home state of Pennsylvania is a [[swing state]] that has voted for the Democratic candidate in the last 4 Presidential elections, and is often considered a "must win" for Obama. However, Ridge's stance on [[abortion]] is considered too [[liberal]] for many [[conservative]]s in the Republican Party. | | Ridge was widely cited as a potential running mate for [[John McCain]] in his 2008 bid for the White House. His home state of Pennsylvania is a [[swing state]] that has voted for the Democratic candidate in the last 4 Presidential elections, and is often considered a "must win" for Obama. However, Ridge's stance on [[abortion]] is considered too [[liberal]] for many [[conservative]]s in the Republican Party. |