Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I am grateful for the respect with which you said those two words, ``New Jersey.'' It is an extraordinary State, and I know you recognize and respect it, sir. I want to stand at this moment, as we are about to close out the Senate, to recognize perhaps one of the most unrecognized elements of the functioning of the U.S. Senate. There are extraordinary people who work in this institution--people who have dedicated their careers to it and support not just Senators but really this incredible, august body. But, today, I want to mark that this is the last day of a class of pages that is serving today. They are the youngest people on the Senate floor--15, 16 years old--but they have served on the frontlines of history over the last months. I have seen a lot of young people pass through here, and this class of pages is the least funny pages I have seen. (Laughter.) I have asked them for jokes. They have given me things that could be called a joke, but they did not have their intended purpose. I am disappointed. I stand in judgment of them. (Laughter.) But despite their lack of humor, what they did show was an abundance of commitment to country, to service, to patriotism. Most of America doesn't realize what these pages go through to be here. They have an extraordinary challenging time. They actually wake up at 4 or 5 in the morning.…”