Political Quotes

“Winston Churchill once famously observed that Americans will always do the right thing only after they have tried everything else. I think the last 2 weeks demonstrates the wisdom of that observation. I join my colleagues in congratulating, first, the leaders for putting aside their substantial differences and partisan divide to meet together over the last 2 or 3 days and hammer out an agreement that is not going to be acceptable or exciting to anyone but will put America back together in terms of our government functioning, avoiding the threat of default, and allowing us to move forward with the Nation's problems. My first congratulation is to Senator Harry Reid and Senator Mitch McConnell for coming together as they have in the last 24 hours. I also have to acknowledge the leadership of my senior colleague from Maine, Susan Collins. I happened to be presiding when she made her speech last Saturday, and it was really her initiative to stand, take a risk, and say: Let's try to work something out. She outlined the beginning of a framework which was then fleshed out over the last 10 days in discussions among the group we have been talking about. I was interviewed recently on the radio and somebody asked: Don't you think Senator Collins may be subject to some criticism from some corner or another about her role in all of this? I paused for a minute, and I said: That is what leadership is. It is the willingness to bear criticism and stick your neck out.…”