Political Quotes

“Strobe Talbott has written some things that I wish he had not written. Strobe Talbott has written some things that he wishes he had not written. Part of being a journalist is you write a great deal--sometimes with wisdom; sometimes lacking it. Part of being a public official is we speak a great deal. I am sure if someone went back over the speeches of Paul Simon, you will find some things that I wish I had not said. That might even be true of the Senator from Colorado or the Senator from Rhode Island or the Senator from Washington or the Senator from Arizona. But the question is: First, does he have the basic skills and ability to be a good Deputy Secretary of State? I think he does. That is my judgment. I have worked with him on some things. The second question, and a very sensitive one and an important one: Does he harbor an attitude toward Israel that has some tone that should not be there? I was interested in his response to the questions from Senator Helms and Senator Biden. My judgment is that he has learned in this process; he has learned about our concerns; he is going to be more sensitive; he is going to be helpful in the Middle East situation and not harmful; and we would be wise to follow the President's recommendation and advise and consent to his nomination. Sometimes we learn through mistakes. That is true for all of us. I think Strobe Talbott has learned that he has to be more careful and that some things can be misinterpreted.”