Political Quotes

“I believe this is a particularly important cause he champions today at a particularly important time. I hope my colleagues will reflect carefully on what Senator Kennedy has said today. He will be leading us in the debate on this issue next week. I am honored to be working with him. As Senator Kennedy said so eloquently, this is about one proposition and one proposition alone, and that is we are seeking to deter violent crime borne out of prejudice and hatred. So often we hear discussions about preferences for individuals, advantages that might in some way be bestowed with respect to civil rights statutes. That is not what this legislation does at all. This legislation is about deterring violence, deterring crime, deterring these extraordinary acts of violence that, in my view, stain our national greatness. We are not going to be able to remove that stain completely. We are not going to be able to stop individuals from having hateful and prejudicial thoughts. Clearly, we can put the Federal Government in a position to be a stronger, more effective partner with local law enforcement officials in fighting this scourge that has affected so many of our communities. This is not a time for further study.”