Political Quotes

“to our new colleague from Minnesota, I say she expressed herself very well. This is a debate where nobody expects to change votes or minds in the short term. But it is a chance to express why you believe what you do about Iraq and how we go forward in that regard. It is always good to showcase our differences. All of us in the body need to ask one question: Why is the Congress at such a low approval rating with the American people? What is it about what we are doing up here that is giving the public a bad taste about the way Congress works? That is a question I don't know how to answer completely. But I have a feeling that most Americans see Congress interacting with each other as if we are talking past each other and not many problems are being solved. We are trying to show the other side as being worse than we are. It seems to me we are trying to construct a whole session of Congress around exposing other people's weaknesses and solving very few problems. Every now and then, you will step out in the middle, and the Senator from New York, the Presiding Officer--we have done some things I am very proud of, so there is hope. There are efforts going on here in other areas to try to bring the Congress together and do some things that are important. About Iraq, the reason no one is going to change their mind is that we just have a basic philosophical difference about how we go forward.”