Political Quotes

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. And it was an absolute pleasure to join you on the CODEL to the Middle East in January where we learned quite a bit about the progress of the peace process. And it has been noted by a number of our colleagues this evening that we cannot allow, in spite of all the recent controversy--which is unclear to me why a country that is defending its borders, its territory, and its people is controversial--but that we cannot allow it to take our focus off to that of a nuclear-armed Iran. One of the things that is unbelievable to me has been the criticism and the questions that have been thrown at Israel: first, that they supposedly boarded the flotilla ships in international waters as if they somehow didn't have the right to do that. That this is a legal blockade, there isn't any disputing that. They are well within their rights and, understandably, are defending their borders and their people. Because what country would not make sure that items coming in from a ship to an area that is run by a hostile terrorist organization would not be checked to make sure that they are the genuine humanitarian aid that the people bringing the goods in say that it is? That is simply common sense. And I would think that the citizens of any nation would expect nothing less than their government. But the other criticism that I have heard during the week is that somehow the people of Gaza--and no one denies that there is suffering that has gone on in Gaza.…”