Staff Editorial: An obligation to serve

When his fellow governor and good friend George W. Bush was elected president last fall, the opportunity for career advancement quickly came Tom Ridge's way.

According to reports, the two-term Pennsylvania governor and decorated Vietnam veteran was offered a number of prestigious cabinet-level positions within the new Bush administration. But Ridge turned all of them down, citing an earlier commitment to the people of his state that he would finish out his term as their chief executive.

Last week, as the nation began its healing process following the worst terrorist attacks in its history, Ridge was called from that commitment by necessity, as he accepted the president's invitation to serve as the first head of the Office of Homeland Security, a new federal agency devoted to coordinating nationwide efforts to fight terrorism.

For Ridge, the move from Harrisburg to Washington has more to do with obligation than opportunity. The governor's track record -- from his service in Vietnam, to his stint in Congress, to his time in the governor's office -- has shown him to be a devoted, charismatic and well-respected leader, a trait that should serve him well in a position that will likely involve settling differences between law enforcement groups that often have difficulty communicating.

The governor's political experience -- he was rumored to be on Bush's short list for the vice presidential nomination -- should also serve Ridge well, as he works to build coalitions among political, bureaucratic and law-enforcement bodies around America.

But the nation's gain, obviously, is also Pennsylvania's loss. This state will be losing an influential leader when Ridge steps down on Oct. 5, and that kind of stature and experience will be hard to replace.

In difficult times like these, though, tough decisions are standard. And because of that, we applaud Ridge for his commitment to the nation's safety and peace of mind -- as well as his willingness to fulfill an obligation that tragedy made an unfortunate necessity.

As the governor said himself, "Countless Pennsylvanians have set aside ther plans to aid their countrymen.... I humbly follow in their footsteps."

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