Political Quotes

“I am of the view--and I am not suggesting the chairman shares my view, or anyone else does--that the President's attitude as to how to proceed on Iraq from this moment on is in play and being influenced by two very important elements of his administration. I am of the view, speaking for myself, that Mr. Cheney and Mr. Rumsfeld, and others in the administration--who are referred to, not in a negative sense but straightforwardly, as the so-called neoconservatives of the administration in foreign policy--are importuning the President on one course of action. I am of the view that the Secretary of State--and I do not speak for the Secretary of State; I do not suggest he has represented to me what I am about to say--but I believe the Secretary of State and a lot of the uniformed military are suggesting the President take another course of action, not drastically different but different relative to the issue of post-Saddam Iraq: How do we win the peace? So it is my hope and my view that this is an appropriate place for the Senate to weigh in on what I believe to be an ongoing debate.”