Political Quotes

“I consider this a sad day for our institution here when a Member comes to the floor and, by name, calls other Members to task for an unsubstantiated, untrue, fabricated allegation made in a blog somewhere and stands behind the fact that it has been reported that such and such occurred. Now, the primary reason my wife and I decided not to seek reelection is because we have four grandchildren in Tennessee that we don't see enough of and are not a part of their lives as we want to be. And any suggestion that there is some sort of NATO job in Brussels, Belgium, is beyond the pale. I, and Mr. Gordon as well, I think, are rightly indignant about this reckless, scurrilous, I think, indiscretion. Let me just say this. Emotions are high, but we can disagree on public policy matters agreeably. And to take an unsubstantiated, untrue, total fabrication and to repeat it on this floor, in my judgment, is an affront to this institution. It is too late to take the words down I'm told by the Parliamentarian, but let me just say this: When we get to the point as a society, when we--some of us--are unable to extend to one who may disagree with us on a matter of public policy the same purity of motive and the same intellectual honesty we claim for ourselves, we are going down the wrong road. I didn't pay any attention to this. It is a total fabrication. I have talked to nobody. I wouldn't get on a plane and go to Brussels to live if they offered it to me.”