Political Quotes

“Several years ago, they sent us to a civility conference because they didn't think that Democrats and Republicans were getting along well enough in the Congress, and I have never forgotten something our first speaker said. David McCullough, the great historian, told a story about a Russian visitor who came up into the House gallery in 1948 and watched for a while, and then he went out and shook his head and he said, ``The House is a strange place.'' He said, ``A man stands up and says absolutely nothing, no one pays any attention, and then everyone disagrees.'' They say there is a little bit of truth in the best humor, and I guess there is some truth in that humor. But David McCullough was kind enough to go on from there and say, but if he had a chance to live his life over again and he could choose what he wanted to do, he would choose to be a member of that wild and raucous bunch known as the United States House of Representatives. I think today, because of some of the television talk shows, that many people around the country think that we all dislike each other or that we hate each other at times, or that Democrats and Republicans just don't get along at all. But that is not true at all, and I think for the great, great majority of Members, all of us get along really well with everyone, regardless of party, and all of us consider it a great privilege and honor to serve in the United States House of Representatives.”