Emanuel Cleaver: “it is pretty clear to me, while it may not always come across your television, radio, or cell phone, I believe that the…”

“it is pretty clear to me, while it may not always come across your television, radio, or cell phone, I believe that the overwhelming majority of Members of Congress are good and decent people. Whether we agree on everything is not factored in on what I just said. Unfortunately, as polls continue to indicate, the American people don't believe that that is the way it is. Congress right now is about as popular as a soiled baby's diaper, and we are pushing it down further by failing to hold ourselves accountable. It is absolutely ridiculous that Members of Congress can sit in a committee hearing room or get some information by just moving around this city and then come in here and vote on something that would enrich them. This is wrong, and one of the reasons that you are not going to find anybody else coming in here taking an opposite position is because they are ashamed. If they are ashamed that means they know they are wrong. If they know they are wrong, they ought to support this legislation or tell the public I believe in enriching myself and I am not going to support it.”