Political Quotes

“As a new Congressman back in January, I was never prouder than when I took this floor to take part in reading the United States Constitution. That day, I brought with me to the podium a copy of the Constitution that I carry in my pocket every day. Ronald Reagan, in his farewell address to the American people in January 1989, said: Ours was the first revolution in the history of mankind that truly reversed the course of government, and with three little words, ``We the people.'' We tell the government what to do, President Reagan stated, it does not tell us. A simple phrase, ``We the people . . . '' put down by our Founding Fathers who defined self-government. Self-government. Those words ring true. I think daily about that government that they formed--a limited government, one with powers for each branch that are clearly spelled out in this document, clearly defined. And, you know, we are a long ways from the limited government and enumerated powers that they strived to corral. I am concerned that we don't read and study the United States Constitution enough in our public schools like we used to when I grew up. I am worried that we the people don't know or remember why our Founding Fathers divided power into three separate branches of government, why they defined the powers of each, and why they were inclined to spell out our liberties in a Bill of Rights. They formed this government that has lasted well over 200 years.…”