Political Quotes

“I rise this evening not to offer a ringing endorsement of Mexico's cooperation on drug interdiction in the last year, but to make the simple observation that we should proceed with extraordinary care before using the stick of decertification on a good friend and ally. Initially, I gave serious consideration to supporting the effort to decertify based on the lack of any tangible results on extradition: not a single Mexican national has yet been extradited to the United States for drug trafficing. Not one, even though I realize progress is being made. Notwithstanding my concerns on that singular issue, however, and the fact that progress on stemming the flow of drugs has been modest at best, I believe it's important to continue working in close quarters with President Zedillo in hopes of building a better record over the long-term. Let's not fool ourselves, Mr. President. Harsh rhetoric, threats, and punitive actions taking the form of decertification will not create goodwill between Mexico City and Washington--just the opposite: bilateral tensions will rise, drug cooperation will decrease, and once more America will be perceived as a sanctions bully.”