Political Quotes

“if I may pursue this, it is an excellent example of one of the nominees who has been pending for a long time. John Negroponte was nominated on May 14. As the distinguished Senator from Idaho pointed out, it was very shortly thereafter that this problem in the United Nations occurred. Many people had said if John Negroponte had been there, this would not have happened. We do not know, as the Senator said. I do know about a month ago Secretary of State Colin Powell was on national television, on one of these Sunday morning talk shows. He was asked about the nomination of John Negroponte, and Secretary Powell made an eloquent plea to the Senate to please confirm John Negroponte. He said the United States needs him at the United Nations, that we needed to get him confirmed. That was, I believe, over a month ago. His nomination has been pending since May 14. It is now July 23. The President is going to be speaking to the United Nations this fall, I believe in September. He is going to be addressing the United Nations. For the United States not to have our Ambassador in place would be a breach of significant diplomatic protocol, as well as an important loss to U.S. interests.”