Political Quotes

“Brent Scowcroft, U.S. Air Force lieutenant general, retired, and former National Security Adviser, said of this vote, ``Denying permanent normal trade relations will remove none of the blemishes that China's opponents have identified.'' Denying PNTR will not fix the problem in China. None of us is here to defend the abysmal human rights record of the Chinese, but, frankly, it is better today than it was during the cultural revolution. Things are improving. Ren Wanding, leader of the 1978 Democracy Wall Movement in China said, ``Before the sky was black. Now there is a light. This can be a new beginning.'' ... Today, in my home State of Oregon, they are preparing the first shipment of wheat to go to China in 26 years, because until this bilateral agreement came along, China used one of those nontariff barriers, called TCK SMUT, with a zero tolerance to preclude us from ever selling wheat into China. And they were successful for 26 years. That changes tomorrow when the ships leave Portland, Oregon, with 50,000 metric tons of wheat.”