Political Quotes

“I am proud to join my colleagues who have come to the floor, including the distinguished Senator from Delaware and my friend and colleague from the great State of Vermont, and with other colleagues who will follow us in saying, very simply, we should do our job and avoid the damage to our democracy that will result from our dereliction of duty if we leave town without a hearing and a vote to fill the vacancy created by the tragic death of Justice Scalia. I know something about the Supreme Court, having clerked there for 1 year with Justice Harry Blackmun, having argued cases there as attorney general of the State of Connecticut. I walk by or ride by the U.S. Supreme Court every day as I come to work at the Capitol, and I have tremendous respect, in fact, reverence, for the U.S. Supreme Court. Its power derives from its credibility and trust. It is being above politics. It has no armies, no police force. Its decisions are enforceable and enforced simply because the American people have confidence in its credibility. The reason for that credibility was well stated by Chief Justice John Roberts, who said: ``We don't work as Democrats or Republicans, and I think it's a very unfortunate impression the public might get from the confirmation process.'' That confirmation process is stymied and stopped, stalled now by bipartisan paralysis that reinforces the misimpression among the public that the Supreme Court may simply be another part of the political process.…”