Political Quotes

“Mr. President, over this past weekend, while reading the News Journal, Delaware's only statewide newspaper, I came across a column written by my good friend and our former colleague, Ted Kaufman. He was writing about an issue that is troubling to me and to many of our colleagues--the narrowing scope of bipartisanship in the U.S. Senate today. As you know, Mr. President, our longtime colleague Senator Richard Lugar faced a difficult primary contest last week in Indiana. While he put up a good fight, he ultimately lost the primary to someone who openly espouses an aversion to bipartisanship. In recent days a number of our colleagues, including Senators Durbin and Kerry, have stood in this Chamber to lament the parting of Senator Lugar. Like them, I, too, am disappointed that Senator Lugar will not be part of the Senate in the future. Though I haven't always agreed with him on every issue, Senator Lugar has been and remains a deeply respected colleague and statesman. He understands that national unity and patriotism should always trump partisan bickering, and he believes that working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle is critically important for the welfare of our country. In his article last weekend, Ted Kaufman wrote, ``If candidates like Mike Castle and Richard Lugar are defeated because they are willing to consider bipartisan solutions, the gridlock can only get worse.'' I couldn't have said it better myself.…”