Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, this is an absurd amendment which would take us in precisely the wrong direction. My constituents in Vermont ask me many questions, and they raise many concerns. But I can honestly say no Vermonter has ever come up to me and said, ``Bernie, the major problem I face is that I can only contribute $25,000 to candidates, and you have got to raise that ceiling so that I can now contribute $75,000.'' No Vermonter has ever asked me that, and I suspect no Vermonter ever will ask me that. The great crisis in our democracy right now is that the wealthiest one-quarter of 1 percent of the population contribute 80 percent of the campaign monies that candidates receive. The great crisis of our time is that big money dominates both political parties and that ordinary Americans are giving up because they believe that their one vote does not mean anything compared to the huge contributions that the big corporations and wealthy individuals make. To raise the level to $75,000 per person is moving us in exactly the wrong direction. In fact, what we need to do now is what Shays-Meehan says, and that is to end the soft money pollution that currently exists, to go even further than that so that ordinary people can regain the power that this democracy is supposed to provide them.”