Political Quotes

“I rise today to join in the special order organized by Congressman Filner to pay tribute to the Americans for Democratic Action on this organization's 50th anniversary. The ADA was formed at a time when this country had just emerged from a devastating depression and an all-engaging world war, and when we faced a number of wracking social changes at home and a series of demanding international challenges abroad. Notable figures like Eleanor Roosevelt, Reinhold Niebuhr, Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., John Kenneth Galbraith, Walter Reuther, Paul Douglas, and Hubert Humphrey created the ADA to provide a forum for progressives to debate pressing public policy issues and to articulate a progressive agenda for national action. Fifty years later, we can say with some perspective that the ADA has done just that. The ADA has taken bold, principled stands on issues as diverse as civil rights and international affairs--and the organization has been the object of unfair attack and invective by some of its political enemies--but throughout it all the ADA has remained true to the ideals of a compassionate society, an activist Democratic government, and the greatest possible personal freedom and opportunity for all of the members of our society. I want to congratulate the ADA for 50 years of contributions to a more informed public debate, and I look forward to the contributions that the ADA will make in the next 50 years.”