Political Quotes

“Madam President, Shakespeare's great play ``Hamlet'' began with the phrase: Something is rotten in Denmark. Well, something is rotten in Congress, and what is rotten in Congress is dark money. Citizens United--perhaps one of the most foolish decisions ever rendered by the U.S. Supreme Court--opened unlimited spending into our politics, which benefits whom? It benefits those who have unlimited money to spend and a motive to spend it in politics. That is not a group of people whose voices were not being heard here already. That is the favored group. But Citizens United opened the door for them to spend unlimited money, and then the Supreme Court failed to police its own decision. Its own decision said this unlimited spending was going to be independent of candidates and transparent to the public. Well, they are 0 for 2. It has been a decade, and they have never even tried to enforce the basic predicates of their decision. It is a shameful, shameful effort by the Court. Now, as a result, we have throughout our politics this dark money tsunami of slime. How bad is it? These groups have spent $4.5 billion since Citizens United--$4.5 billion trying to influence Congress. Do you think they were doing that in the public interest? Of course not. Do you wonder why bills die here in the legislative graveyard of the Senate? Take a guess. Outside groups--these phony-baloney front groups for these big special interests--are now outspending candidates in races.…”