Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I see others standing. I will be brief and just say a few words in support of the so-called talking filibuster. In the world of the most arcane things that people can concentrate on, this book would be on the top 10 best-seller list. It is the Senate Manual with the rules of procedure and the rules of precedents of the Senate. Unless you live here and work here and follow the Senate, most people never, ever have any glancing occasion to even observe these rules, let alone pay any attention to them. Why are we doing this when we have all these people unemployed in America and we have so many challenges at home and abroad? Why are we taking the time of the Senate to talk about this book and the rules included? Many of us, including my friend--and that term is sometimes used loosely here but I mean it literally, know what happens on the floor of the Senate has an effect on America and the world. If we do our job well, we are going to solve some of the problems of the world. If we do it poorly, the exact opposite is the case. What my colleagues from Colorado and Oregon and New Mexico have urged us to do is to think about whether we can do things better in the Senate. The history of the filibuster in the Senate is an interesting one. There was a time when any Senator could stand up and object and stop the proceedings of the Senate.…”