Political Quotes

“as the Senate resumes debating the nuclear option for resolving the debate about judges, I would like to ask that the Senate pursue a conventional option, the disappearing art of bipartisanship. Rather than calling for breaking out the nuclear weapons, I believe the Senate should call for breaking out some bipartisanship, and I want to give an example this afternoon of what the possibilities could be for real bipartisanship in this area of judicial nominations. When President Clinton was elected, even though I was a Member of the House, I was the senior Democrat in my State. So I was faced with the challenge then as a Member of the other body of working with two Senators with close to 60 years of experience in the Senate--Mark Hatfield and Bob Packwood. Both of them were extremely gracious in their efforts to work with me. I created a formal judicial selection committee. I gave Senators Hatfield and Packwood representation on that committee. We worked together in a bipartisan way and my first selection was confirmed without controversy. I continued that bipartisan selection committee when I was elected to serve in the Senate. Three of my recommendations are now serving on the Federal bench thanks, in great measure, to the bipartisan cooperation of my friend and colleague Senator Gordon Smith.…”