Political Quotes

“You can talk about the effect on the rules. You can just also talk about the effect on the enthusiasm for voting, period. If people are convinced that money calls the shots, then they are going to look at voting as just being asked to come out on election day and decide which of two people to send to Washington to work for somebody else. Look at the issue of access to the ballot box and protecting access to the ballot box. Last year I had the opportunity with many Members of Congress to go down to Selma with John Lewis and remember the foot soldiers from 50 years ago who fought for the right to vote. We talked about protecting access to the ballot box. But just as important is protecting the ballot box' opportunity to get to Washington without being hijacked along the way. Because that undermines the franchise, too. People bleed and sweat to get to the ballot box. You have to make sure that ballot box is preserved on its way to Washington. So on one side of the coin, you have the right to vote, which is sacrosanct in our country. On the other side of the coin, you have the right to have your vote mean something. That is where we have to address the undue influence that money has. Two other real quick points before I yield back. One is--and this is important, I think, to millennials, young people, and the next generation--this question about what we do with money in politics. It is not just about putting rules in place. Rules are important.…”