Political Quotes

“I did not really expect to come down here and speak. I was just checking on a judge vote, which I understand has been postponed. But I do say this: It appears to me that the CR discussion and the debt ceiling discussion are going to be combined maybe into one effort, and I just want to say that I think that is a great opportunity for all of us. I was down here yesterday talking about the same. Typically, when we have dealt with issues such as this, what we have tried to do together is figure out a way to strengthen our country through making those kinds of reforms that lessen the amount of deficits we are going to have in the future. That is typically what debates such as this have been about. So I think the realization that people have right now--that we could well try to deal with the CR and the debt ceiling at the same time-- could move us back into the kind of constructive conversation we have had for so long around mandatory spending reforms, figuring out a way to keep spending reductions where they are but build upon them, but do it in a way that is more sensible than what we have done in the past. So, again, I was beginning to get worried. And I will stop in a minute. It looks as if the senior Senator---- Mr. McCAIN. Madam President, will my friend from Tennessee yield for a question?”