Political Quotes

“Mr. President, let me thank the Senator from Wisconsin. Like Wisconsin, Rhode Island has a one-word motto as well. Hers is ``Forward.'' Ours is ``Hope.'' Together, they point in the right direction. Americans are dissatisfied. Opinion surveys tell us that only 35 percent of Americans believe our country is headed in the right direction. Why this alarming dissatisfaction? We don't have to guess. Popular opinion tells us quite plainly. In a survey taken after the 2016 election, 85 percent of voters agreed that the wealthy and big corporations were the ones really running the country. That includes 80 percent of voters who supported Trump. It is not just opinion. Academic studies have looked at Congress and confirmed that the views of the general public have statistically near zero influence here--that we listen to big, corporate special interests and their various front groups. Even our Supreme Court is not immune. In a 2014 poll, more respondents believed, by 9 to 1, that our Supreme Court favors corporations over individuals rather than vice versa. Even among self-identified conservative Republicans, it was still a 4-to-1 margin. So hold that thought: The wealthy and powerful corporations control Congress, and people know it.…”