Joe Lieberman: “I do want to say in overall terms, to put in a different context these two goals that we have, that there is no question…”

“I do want to say in overall terms, to put in a different context these two goals that we have, that there is no question that part of what motivates the bill before us is the broadly held feeling in America that Government has become too big and too intrusive. But reflecting only what I hear from my constituents in Connecticut, which is that, I also hear from them that there are certain things that they very much want Government to continue to do for them because they know they cannot do it alone and it cannot be privatized. I remember somebody once said--it is not my thought--the law exists in society in relationship to the natural goodness and perfection of the species; in other words, in Heaven, if you will, there is no law because everyone does the right thing; in Hell, it is all law because no one does the right thing; and we on Earth are somewhere in between. The law expresses our aspirations, our values, our desire for a just society. Do we overdo it sometimes? Sure, we do.…”