Cheney Salutes Presidential Scholars

AP ^ | 6/26/02 | AP

[anniegetyourgun]

WASHINGTON- Pinch-hitting for the boss, Vice President Dick Cheney awarded medallions Tuesday to 141 Presidential Scholars from high schools across the nation and saluted the students as post-Sept. 11 symbols of American pride.

Cheney presided over the medal ceremony at the Daughters of the American Revolution auditorium after President Bush bowed out in order to fly to Arizona and survey wildfire damage.

Being vice president, "is not that bad a job" - except that "it takes a while to get used to being a character on 'Saturday Night Live,'" Cheney quipped to the students. They were selected by the Education Department's Commission on Presidential Scholars based on their exceptional test scores on the College Board SAT or the ACT Assessment. Twenty of the students were selected based on their artistic abilities.

Recalling America's solidarity and nationalism after the terrorist attacks of last fall, Cheney said the scholars were "students putting God-given talents to their highest and best use, a new generation applying the old virtues of perseverance patience and discipline."

"Every time this happens all of us have another reason to be proud of our country and optimistic about its future."

Bart Coffman, of Hinton (Iowa) Community High School, missed the ceremony because he is recovering from a serious farming accident, Cheney noted from the stage of the DAR's Constitution Hall. "We're all thinking about Bart today and we want to send our best wishes to him and his family," he said.

The students recognized came from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

The scholars program was established in 1964 by President Johnson and is one of the nation's highest honors for high school students.

[anniegetyourgun]

When I graduated from H.S. we had a Presidential Scholar. He went to M.I.T. and flunked out his first semester.