Political Quotes

“I have repeatedly come to the floor to talk about the genocide in Darfur, a tragedy that is now entering its sixth year, with little end in sight. Senator Snowe and 27 other Senators joined me last month in writing to the President saying that his legacy would be largely affected by whether definitive action is taken to halt this humanitarian crisis on his watch. Unfortunately, I fear President Bush will leave office and hand the crisis in Darfur to the next President. Sadly, there is another African crisis that also demands the world's attention--this one in Zimbabwe. On March 29, the country held a presidential election in which opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai won over incumbent Robert Mugabe by nearly 5 percent. Official results were withheld by the government for more than a month, raising concerns of official manipulation. Opposition leaders and supporters, election observers, and reporters were harassed and in some cases detained. Some were tortured, others killed. Under those results, in which neither candidate received more than 50 percent, a runoff was scheduled for June 27. The period leading up to this runoff has been a tragedy for the people of Zimbabwe, for democracy, for the rule of law, and for the entire southern African region. President Mugabe, once a hero of Zimbabwe's independence, has used violence to destroy his country's democratic process. Opposition supporters are harassed, attacked, and threatened if they do not vote for Mugabe.”