Political Quotes

“Last week an outstanding group of young men and women from Portland, Oregon's Lincoln High School placed first in the ``We the People Competition,'' a contest sponsored by the Classroom Law Project. It is an extraordinary program that allows young men and women to dive deeply into the constitutional process, the legislative process, and understand what it all means for contemporary America in an all-too-often dysfunctional political arena. Over the years, it's been my privilege to work with instructors and students on these programs, to have watched them prepare, particularly in Portland High Schools Lincoln and Grant that have vied for the State title for more than 2 dozen years, and of course the national contest as well. This is testimony to a dedicated core of teachers and citizen volunteers, often prominent judges and lawyers, and alumni of the program who continue their involvement long after they cease to be students. A special shout-out this year to Lincoln instructor Tim Swinehart, local attorney Steve Griffith and his volunteer team, and the extraordinarily supportive principal, Peyton Chapman. As I met with the Lincoln team earlier this spring in preparation for the national championships, it was clear to me that this was a stellar team even by the standards of this terrific program. That they won this year with a team largely composed of sophomores makes it all the more an extraordinary accomplishment.…”