Political Quotes

“Congressman, I really respect you for that vote because what I think a lot of people listening this evening might not understand is Congressman Hoekstra took the very first House bill of a Republican administration, it was their pet bill, and you had the guts to stand up, as a Republican, to the Republican administration, and say, no, because I believe education is a local control kind of issue. Now I have to relay an amusing story because I voted ``no'' on it too, and some staffer made a mistake and invited me to the bill signing ceremony. So I actually sat in the bill signing ceremony for No Child Left Behind after having voted ``no'' the same way you did. And I think that is precisely what the public wants. They want to take this place apart. Education can be done fine at a State level, and in my opinion, as a former State representative, I would say it ought to be done at the local level. But certainly we don't need a bunch of Washington bureaucrats telling us how to educate our kids. I couldn't respect you more for that independence of thought and the clarion understanding that that is just not a Federal priority.”