Political Quotes

“The reason I ask that is the following--but I think we all feel very passionate about the issues before us. I have not been here as long as Senator Leahy, whose service has been quite distinguished over a long period of time. I truly do understand the passions people bring to this body. I like to think that I, too, am passionate about the issues before us. I think this is an important moment. It is late. Not many people are paying attention. I wish they would though because I think the question here is one of the reasons I ran for this body to begin with. Maybe it is because of my background; I am surrounded by people who have lost freedoms in places where they are not allowed to speak. One of the great traditions of our Nation is the ability to come forward and have debates. But the Founders and the Framers and those who established this institution and guided us over two centuries understood that that debate was impossible if, in fact, the matter became of a personal nature. I don't believe that was necessarily the intention here, although perhaps that was the way it turned out. But I think it is important for us to understand why that matters so much. I want people to think about our politics here in America because I am telling you guys, I don't know of a single Nation in the history of the world that has been able to solve its problems when half the people in the country absolutely hate the other half of the people in that country.…”