Political Quotes

“Mr. President, just about every week now, we learn something new and deeply troubling about the Justices serving on the Supreme Court, the highest Court in the land in the United States, and their conduct outside the courtroom. From unreported luxury getaways with billionaire benefactors who have business before the Court to donor-funded teaching positions that double as all-expense-paid vacations, to a political megadonor buying a home that belongs to a Justice's relative and then allowing that relative to continue living there rent-free--we have learned all of this in just a few months. And, last week, another troubling report: According to the Associated Press, Justice Sotomayor used her taxpayer-funded Court staff to help sell copies of her book, in particular by pressing libraries, community colleges, and other public institutions to buy additional copies of her memoir and children's book in conjunction with her speaking engagements. Let me tell you, if I or any Member of the Senate failed to report an all-expense-paid luxury getaway or if we used our government staff to help sell books we wrote, we would be in big trouble. The same would be true for Members of the House or Cabinet officials in any Presidential administration. That is because all of us are subject to enforceable codes of conduct that prohibit us from using taxpayer funds for personal gain. But the same, sadly, is not true for the nine Justices across the street.…”