Political Quotes

“I rise to support the confirmation of President Bush's nominee for Attorney General of the United States, former Senator John Ashcroft. After serving in this body with John Ashcroft for the last six years, I know him as a man of integrity and compassion. That is not to say we always agree--we have sparred passionately on issues--not the least of which was abortion rights. Clearly, though, John is a well-qualified nominee, as evidenced by the fact that of the 67 persons who have served as United States Attorney General in our history, only John Ashcroft has served as state attorney general, governor, and U.S. Senator serving on the Judiciary Committee. In fact, John Ashcroft was State Attorney General and Governor for two terms each. He was the head of the National Association of Attorneys General and head of the National Governors' Association. In these roles, John has a solid record of working with and protecting the rights of all people. That John and I hold differing views is certainly not unusual in this body of one hundred individuals--all with strongly held beliefs, all with disparate backgrounds, and all representing different constituencies with distinct concerns and varying priorities.”