Political Quotes

“I thank the majority leader for allowing Senator Whitehouse and myself to conclude today's session. I want first to salute my colleague, Senator Whitehouse, who will be on the floor momentarily. He has come to the floor many times to talk about issues relative to climate change and global warming. He has come on so many occasions that I have lost track, but it shows his dedication to this issue. He has also been outspoken on the issue of campaign financing and what is happening in America today. We all know that it takes big money to run big campaigns, and we all know that many people are put off by politicians who are waiting on wealthy donors to give them the money to make it across the finish line. That is a fact. I have always said that in this business of politics, there are two categories. There are multimillionaires and mere mortals, and I am in the second category, never having enough money to finance my own campaign, prevailing on my friends to help. It is too bad that politics has reached the level where campaigns are so long and so expensive. Tonight Senator Whitehouse and I will highlight one aspect of that issue that is particularly worrisome and really should be front and center; that is, the so-called secret contributions, the dark money-- money that is being spent on political campaigns with no fingerprints. It is a growing phenomenon, and it is troublesome to think that our democracy has reached that point.…”