Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I thank the senior Senator from Utah for an excellent speech. I entirely agree with his call for civility and decorum and respect. No Member of this body should engage in ad hominem attacks directed at any other Member of this body, be they a Republican or be they a Democrat. At the same time, I would note that it is entirely consistent with decorum and with the nature of this body traditionally as the world's greatest deliberative body to speak the truth. Speaking the truth about action is entirely consistent with civility. Indeed, in a quote often falsely attributed to George Orwell, the sentiment has been expressed thusly: ``In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.'' I would make four brief points. First of all, on Friday I gave an unusual speech--a speech unlike any I have given in this Chamber. It was not a speech I was happy to give. It was a speech to which the senior Senator from Utah has responded. I would note that in the course of that speech I described an explicit promise the majority leader had made to me and to all 53 Republican Senators. Neither the majority leader, nor the Senator from Utah, nor the Senator from Tennessee has disputed that the majority leader, in front of every Republican Senator, made that promise, looking me in the eyes--namely, that there was no deal on the Export-Import Bank, that its proponents could offer it in the regular order and there would be no special preferences whatsoever.…”