Political Quotes

“Finally, on another matter--I see that my colleague from Vermont, who, incidentally, is doing an excellent job on the appropriations bills, which I believe he will want to discuss--is waiting. One more matter: Last week, the Trump administration announced it was revoking the security clearance of a former Director of the CIA. The action was taken not after a thorough review of the security clearance process. It did not affect a new policy. The revocation of the former CIA Director's security clearance was a gratuitous act of political retribution taken out of spite and malice--sometimes, unfortunately, attributes the President shows. It was an attempt to silence critics of the President--something the President regularly tries to do, usually unsuccessfully. My Republican colleague, Senator Corker, said this in July about the possibility of President Trump's revoking security clearances. This is Republican Senator Bob Corker, a well-respected man in America. He said: When you're going to start taking retribution against people who are your political enemies . . . that's the kind of thing that happens in Venezuela. . . . it's a banana republic kind of thing. Senator Corker is right. The abuse of the powers of public office to silence critics and punish political enemies is exactly what goes on in dictatorships, in banana republics. We are not one of those, thank God.…”