Political Quotes

“I have never really been much into charts, but the principal manager of the bill, the Senator from Tennessee, has presented me with a remarkable instrument which as you keep pulling on, suddenly you have this remarkable pointer. I appreciate Senator Sasser furnishing me this remarkable thing because I want to share with you some interesting charts. The basis of these charts is a powerful literary work of my friend Pete Peterson and the support of the Concord Coalition. Remember, the Concord Coalition was started by two people who have been deeply respected in this body. I served with both of them: Senator Paul Tsongas, of Massachusetts, a magnificent man. I enjoyed him so. Still do. Indeed he is very vital. And Senator Warren Rudman, just a dear, dear friend. They are doing things as united Republicans and Democrats because the rest of us do not do them, and I do not either. We all talk a great game. That is all we do--is talk a great game. So let me just acquaint my colleagues with a few things on these charts. Most of this will not be news to anybody because people like Senator Sasser and Senator Domenici have in one way or another been alerting us to this for years. So it will not be news. But at some level in the human psyche, in some dim, dark recess of our minds, we know all of the truths about Federal spending--where it has been, where it is going. But we do not like to talk about it. It is too, too painful.…”