Political Quotes

“we now have a new rule called the Biden rule, which I guess was invented this morning. What happens when my friend the Republican leader, as he did yesterday, talks about what Senator Biden has said is that he never completes the little presentation Senator Biden made. Senator Biden did not say there wouldn't be any nominations. Here is what he said in ending his presentation. At the end of his speech in 1992, Senator Biden said: Compromise is the responsible course both for the White House and for the Senate. If the President consults and cooperates with the Senate or moderates his selections absent consultation, then his nominees may enjoy my support as did Justices Kennedy and Souter. That is what this is all about. Senator Biden never said there wouldn't be any nominations approved, and that was evident in the oval office yesterday. Vice President Biden told the story of a Republican President calling him down--he was chairman of the Judiciary Committee--and said: OK, we are having some problems here. I have 10 names on a piece of paper. I want you to look at it and give me your rough estimate. I will not bind you to this, but which of these do you think would work? These were people that a Republican President presented to the Democratic chair of the Judiciary Committee saying: Give me your impression of these people. So they went over them--yes, yes, yes, no. They had 10 names. That is the same thing that happened yesterday in the White House.…”