Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, this Administration has refused to account to the American people for the probable cost in both blood and money of a massive land invasion of Iraq. One of the most bizarre aspects of events in recent weeks has been the bazaar that has been going on in Turkey, where the Administration has sought to buy a ``coalition of the willing.'' This bill appears to be a part of that effort. The Turkish provision, which I questioned last year in committee because the same treatment was not being accorded to Armenia, has, according to the chairman, been dropped from this bill. Apparently, action on trade with Turkey has little to do with what is good trade policy, but everything to do with what constitutes good policy to create a ``coalition of the billing.'' When Turkey was to be a member of that coalition, it was in the trade bill. Now that its parliament has voted to deny the use of its land for an invasion of Iraq, when over 90 percent of the people of Turkey oppose that invasion, the provision has been unceremoniously stripped from the bill. Indeed, more and more Americans watching this, and perhaps it is not a very good play on words, are asking, ``How much gravy does Turkey really need?'' The trade benefits that were in this bill are in addition to what is apparently $15 billion to $30 billion of American tax dollars that will be given to the Turks.”