Political Quotes

“I find this vote on the confirmation of Ambassador-at-Large Strobe Talbott to be very difficult because it involves several important and pertinent considerations. First, I believe in giving the President wide discretion in selecting his executive support staff and advisers, especially ones that he knows as well as the current nominee, Ambassador Talbott. This nominee has demonstrated ability and intellectual capacity, as evidenced by at least some of his writings--I refer specifically to a book that I found very insightful, 'The Deadly Gambits', which I studied closely many years ago on the issue of arms control. In consideration of the need in this administration for all the help it can get in foreign policy on problems in North Korea, Russia, the New Independent States, the Middle East, Vietnam, and in virtually every corner of the globe, it is important that the President be permitted to select advisers he feels have sufficient ability and intellect. On the other side of the ledger, I find very major concerns. Ambassador Talbott's judgment, at least in my opinion, is troubling when considering his articulation of U.S. policy which he has written on as a journalist in the past.”