Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise to respond to a colloquy yesterday that occurred between Senators Ayotte, Lieberman, and Graham regarding amendment No. 1068 offered by Senator Ayotte to the Defense authorization bill. Senator Ayotte's amendment would eliminate measures that provide our interrogators with the guidance and clarity they need to effectively solicit actionable intelligence while upholding American values. In doing so, the amendment would override the better judgment of our military and intelligence professionals in a manner that will harm, not improve, our short- and long-term security. Yesterday, Senator Lieberman said on the Senate floor that he wants prisoners taken captive by the United States to be ``terrified about what is going to happen to them while in American custody.'' He also said he wants ``the terror they inflict on others to be felt by them.'' I believe that such statements are antithetical to fundamental American values. I firmly believe that America will not and cannot lower itself to the level of terrorists. To do so would be to abandon our most cherished principles and what our country stands for. There was also discussion of abuses at Abu Ghraib, which diminished America's standing and outraged the American public.…”