Political Quotes

“I'll be darned if I know. I had a good meeting with him in the White House, and said, ``If you've got any specific suggestions, let me know.'' I never heard from him after that. I do have some differences with the Commission. The reason I answered her tersely is that it is not a Presidential commission. It might be Presidential level, but some of the people on there are not appointed by me; some are. And I have respect for them. But they are far out. They want more, more, more. And I have to sort out priorities for all diseases that the Federal Government can help spend money on. How about cancer? How about heart? How about all of these diseases? We're dealing with somewhat limited resources. In spite of that, AIDS--I want to say doubled since I've been President, but it's a major increase. But I have some differences with the Commission. I've met with the Commission. I've gone to NIH and held a seminar with AIDS victims, young kids whose lives were going away, teenagers and young men, and held AIDS babies in my arms. But somehow the extreme elements in that community refused to say that we care about it. You know, they had this big quilt ceremony out on the lawn, south of the White House there. It was a very moving thing, because I saw a lot of pictures of it. And one of the AIDS activists said, ``Well, why didn't you go?'' And I said, ``I didn't want to go to take something solemn and sensitive and be a lightning rod for the extremes.'' That's why I didn't go, and that's why Barbara didn't go. She's a very caring person. Abortion”