Political Quotes

“the new year is now upon us, a Presidential year, and already the competition is fierce among candidates for election to ``Safire's New Political Dictionary: The Definitive Guide to the New Language of Politics.'' Accordingly, Mr. President, I have the honor to propose as first-in-the-field, a remarkable triple-hyphenated safe bet and sure winner from the new year's day editorial of the Washington Post entitled, appropriately enough, ``The New Year.'' The editorial looked back to its predecessor 50 years ago, when the Post editorial writer of that age, contemplating the end of the Second World War, pondered whether the United Nations might now bring peace on Earth. This year's editorial comments, ``That sort of world-federal-ish talk seems almost quaint today.'' Indeed, it does. Cord Meyer apart, there are not likely to be as many as half a dozen Americans alive who remember the World Federalists and their unflinching attachment to world government. That, of course, is just the role editorials play in our lives; to remind us of forgotten fancies and dashed dreams, lest we become too much impressed with the wonders of our own age. Mr. President, I can report that Mr. Safire, interviewed by telephone in his posh Washington offices, readily concurred that ``world-federal-ish'' was definitely an early starter for this year's pol-lexigraphic race, adding that it might prove a watershed compound and go on to win a triple crown.”