Political Quotes

“5 weeks ago, on November 1, I held a news conference with my colleague from Illinois, Congressman Ray LaHood, on the subject of the electoral college. I always preface my remarks on this issue by reminding people that that was before the November 7 election. In 1993, I had introduced legislation with Congressman Gerald Kleczka, of Wisconsin, as a Member of the House, to abolish the electoral college. Congressman LaHood and I came forward on November 1 of this year and made the same recommendation before the election on November 7. So what I am about to say and what I am about to propose, really, although it is going to take into account what happened in our last election, is motivated by a belief that the underlying mechanism in America for choosing the President of the United States is flawed and should be changed. On that day, November 1, I came to the floor of the Senate to explain why I thought the Constitution should be amended to replace the electoral college with a system to directly elect our President. One week after the press conference, the American people went to the polls to express their will. It is worth pausing to realize that we are living through an extraordinary election, the closest by far in more than a century. As we await the outcome, it is important to remember that soon our country will have a new President. I am confident that our great Nation will successfully navigate the difficulties of this historic election.…”