Political Quotes

“I rise today to call on the Obama administration and Secretary of State Clinton to appoint a special envoy for the genocide that is taking place in Darfur. Senator Brownback and I were the first Members of Congress to go to Darfur. The genocide continues, and yet there's almost the sound of silence. This is a photo that Sam and I took of a village that had been bombed and the janjaweed come riding in on horseback. This is the janjaweed. They ride in, the Antonov bombers come over, they drop bombs here on these Russian-made bombers, then Soviet Hind helicopters come in and gun the people down. Then, the janjaweed people like this on horseback or camel come in, they rape the women, they burn, they torch the villages, then move on. Now, President Bush put a lot of time in this effort. Unfortunately, it was not concluded. But I want to commend the Obama administration for appointing a special envoy for the Middle East, former Senator Mitchell and also former Ambassador Holbrooke, for a special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan. But why not a special envoy for the people of Sudan and for Darfur? We call on them in a letter that went out today, particularly, and also asking Secretary Clinton to, when she goes to China, to publicly and privately urge the Chinese to help bring about the end of genocide. The Chinese have the largest embassy in Khartoum.”