Political Quotes

“I am very sad to rise today to say to my friend from Kansas, the distinguished Republican leader, that for him to suggest that it is not an emergency when a structure such as the Cypress structure has been down since that fateful day in 1989--and the fact is we have certain rules in California, as well we should, which is that we do not rebuild a structure in the same way it was before, if in fact in doing so it would remain a danger and a hazard to the people who use it. Mr. President, I have a picture here from the New York Times that shows the Cypress structure collapsing, the top deck, right onto the bottom deck. Forty-two people were killed. And I would say as I remember back to that day, that had there not been a World Series game scheduled that night, there would have been far more people caught on this freeway. Forty-two people are dead, and, yes, it is true it has taken time to come up with a plan that is a safe and good plan. The fact that we did not rush to rebuild a collapsed freeway in a way that may have been wrong is to the credit of the State of California.”