Political Quotes

“Let me interject an observation or two, and then I will be happy to yield the floor. Mr. President, the good Senator from Michigan and I have been partners on this committee now the 28th year and rarely do we have matters of--particularly with executive positions--difference because we screen them carefully. But on this one, we do. That is the way the system works. I cannot impress upon my colleagues too strongly several points. One, we did have an executive session, and I shall observe the confidentiality of that session, but I got quite a different impression when Senator Levin and I largely--I think Senator Reed was present-- cross-examined Mr. Smith very carefully. I felt he more or less acknowledged a better selection of words in hindsight he should have made. In no way do I believe he was trying to smear the press. I think the best evidence I can produce for my colleagues that it wasn't sort of a smear is that, to the best of my knowledge--and I will put the question to all Members of the Senate, most particularly my distinguished ranking member--we did not receive--at least I did not--any comments from the media industry, individual stations, or trade associations, or anything else. I think they took this in stride as a 30-year veteran of their profession with great distinction. Everybody makes an error now and then. Who among us on this floor has not made a public statement that he or she wishes perhaps they had couched in different words?…”