Political Quotes

“Mr. President, first I wish to thank my colleague from Arizona for not just his remarks during the last few minutes but for his service here. I think everyone on our side knows the Senator from Arizona has strongly felt views, many times different than many of ours, but that they are sincere, they are heartfelt, they are honorable, and that they are not ``political,'' and I very much appreciate that. Let me say a few things, though, about these rules changes. The overwhelming fact that hovers over this Chamber is that it is broken. Nobody disagrees with that. The Senate is broken. This great, wonderful institution that has had such a legendary history--perhaps the greatest legislative body the world has ever seen--is dysfunctional. None of us disputes that. We have to start from there. How do we change it so it is no longer dysfunctional? My colleague the Republican leader says, Well, it is personalities or it is character or whatever. That explanation doesn't wash. The amount of good character in this body is probably no different--no more, no less--than the amount of good character in previous Senates that were far more functional. I would argue that good character is pretty high. By and large, we respect our colleagues as individuals and as Senators on both sides of the aisle and across the aisle. So it is an easy way out to say, Change character. I guess when one says ``change character,'' they mean change their character.…”