Lateefah Simon: “I think the point made by the Senator from Massachusetts is absolutely valid. You can be a good, sincere person, but…”

“I think the point made by the Senator from Massachusetts is absolutely valid. You can be a good, sincere person, but just not be a good replacement baseball player or person working in an airplane factory. I am going to be leaving the U.S. Senate after 1996. The Chicago White Sox are not interested in me. I cannot understand it, but that is the reality. Michael Jordan was a great basketball player, but he did not do very well on the baseball field. I think the point made by my colleague from Massachusetts, Senator Kennedy, is extremely important. We find, even where you do not have permanent replacements, sometimes factories try to keep going and the results have not been quality products. When we are talking about the defense industry, we want quality production. I point out also to Senator Kennedy that France makes military equipment. They sell planes, and they prohibit permanent striker replacement. Germany makes weapons; they prohibit permanent striker replacement. Italy manufactures military equipment; they prohibit permanent striker replacements. I have not heard from anyone that has said that, in any way, inhibited them from moving ahead.”