Political Quotes

“Thank you, Mr. President. This September, at the height of yet another contentious campaign season, Senator Orrin Hatch authored an op-ed for Time magazine which we should all read. Its theme was reflected in the remarks he delivered today in his farewell address to the U.S. Senate and to our country. With his combination of eloquence and straightforwardness that has enlightened this Chamber for more than four decades, our colleague from Utah called upon all Americans to embrace, as he put it, ``the practice of true tolerance: respecting others' beliefs even, or perhaps especially, when they differ from our own.'' Senator Hatch reminded us that our system of government, crafted by the Founders with great wisdom and understanding of human nature, only works when we recognize ``that the majority of our political disagreements are not matters of good versus evil but good versus good,'' as he put it. He concluded his important essay with these words: ``When we embrace these virtues fully, we can heal partisan divisions, reinvigorate the public discourse and begin to realize the full potential of American democracy.'' To our friend and colleague Orrin Hatch, those are not just words; rather, they have represented his guiding philosophy throughout his 42 years of service in the U.S. Senate. They are why he is such an admired statesman here in Washington, throughout our Nation, and around the world. They are why he is one of the most effective legislators of modern times.…”